Heart Burns (Book 4 of the Hayes Files)
by griffyn612
Summary: As a licensed arson investigator, Woody Hayes knows that spontaneous human combustion is the stuff of fiction. But when people in Chicago start witnessing the impossible, Woody finds himself caught between merciless killers and cold blooded clients. It will fall to him to put out the human fires spreading across the city — before the mortal world ends up catching fire.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Heart Burns

Author: Griffyn612

Rating: PG-13+

Canon: Book

Spoilers: Spoilers through _Turn Coat_ , with mild reference to subject matter from _Cold Days._

Warnings: Contains mild violence and language

Setting: A fan story of the Dresdenverse. Most characters are new, with a few known characters interspersed.

Disclaimer: _The Dresden Files_ is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.

Summary: As a licensed arson investigator, Woody Hayes knows that the legends of spontaneous human combustion are just that: stories and fictions. But when people in Chicago start witnessing the stuff of legend first hand, Woody will find himself caught between merciless killers and cold blooded clients. It will fall to him to put out the human fires spreading across the city — or the mortal world itself might end up catching fire.

Chapter 1

A light spring rain started as the flashing blue and red lights came into view.

It was nothing more than a drizzle, but it was an inconvenience for me as I idled on my motorcycle. Half the street ahead was blocked off by emergency response vehicles, and an officer was directing traffic by. When I refused to follow the other civilians, he started to give me attitude. I flashed him my consultant's badge, and he grudgingly waved me through the barricade.

The collection of vehicles outside the office building included several patrol cars, a firetruck, two ambulances, and a number of unmarked sedans. I weaved my motorcycle through them all to pop up on to the curb, where an overhang off the side of the building would offer a little protection for the leather seat on my '42 Harley-Davidson WLA.

As I cut the engine, a pretty girl with honey-blond hair made her way toward me. She was wrapped up in a raincoat, and sported a double-wide umbrella. I stepped off the bike as she came to a stop beside me, lifting the umbrella up so that it would cover me as well. I kept my leather messenger bag tight at my side to keep it out of the rain as much as possible.

"Hey Woody. Thanks for coming out so late," Penny Wells said, her hazel eyes taking on a bluish-gray tone in the shadows of the umbrella.

Penny was the personal assistant and secretary to Deputy Chief Inspector Tobiah Robbins. The two worked for the Chicago Fire Prevention Bureau, and were usually my number one source of income. As a private arson investigator, I typically got work from building inspections and investigations for private citizens and corporations. But over the years, the C.F.P.B. had provided me with a steady work load.

Most of their investigations were handled by the arson investigators they have on-staff at the different fire houses. But every once in a while, something comes up that's outside what science and reason can explain. When it does, Robbins will bring me in, and I have the enviable task of explaining away the unexplainable.

But as far as I could recall, no case had been strange enough to drag the Deputy Chief Inspector out this late.

I glanced at the large watch I wore on my left wrist. "What gets you and Robbins out on a call after nine o'clock?"

"Highly irregular case," Penny explained while I removed my half-helmet, tucking it into a side saddle bag over my rear tire. "We were actually here before things really got rolling. S.I. is here, too."

"No shit?" I said, surprised. Penny just nodded, and the two of us started heading for the front door.

Special Investigations was the Chicago Police Department's version of yours truly. They got all the crazy calls, from murderers claiming they were possessed when they killed their spouse, to college kids swearing up and down that they saw a Bigfoot on campus. The more inane the case, the more likely it was to end up with S.I.

But despite being labeled by some as a dead-end when it came to careers, S.I. did a damn good job with what they had. They were even respected in certain circles. It was just their luck that those same circles had to disavow any knowledge of the supernatural, as well as the need for a department to handle such things. Lieutenant Stallings' people got little in the way of thanks for their service, but that didn't change the fact that said service was critical to keeping the peace in Chicago. Some departments handled thugs and gangsters; S.I. handled trolls and goblins. Even if some of their own members were in denial about the things they saw.

D.C.I. Robbins was one of a few officials that knew that magic was real, even if he didn't really want to know the particulars. If S.I. got a case that crossed interests with the fire department, he was usually brought in. I'd worked with the department several times, providing Jekyll and Hyde files; one file would consist of reasonable lies, while the other would contain the grim truth that would put all of us in the loony bin if they ever went public.

"So what's got everyone worked up?" I asked as we entered the building. I glanced at the sign, and noted the polished silver logo for Argent Industries.

"A few calls came in over the last couple of hours reporting some odd sightings," Penny said as she closed up her umbrella. The company had set out a stand with plastic bags to try and keep the floor dry, and she slipped her umbrella into one before we continued on into the lobby. They were clearly concerned with keeping the white marble floor as pristine as possible. The beautiful stonework continued up the walls as a veneer reaching the ceiling, and marble columns were spaced here in there. I was suddenly overwhelmed with an intense sense of wealth and power. It was like walking into a museum or mansion instead of an office building in downtown Chicago.

"They were directed to S.I., who looped Robbins in," Penny continued as I looked over the multi-story lobby. "When he heard about the calls, he decided to join Lieutenant Stallings here. Of course, when they got here, they were stone-walled by the company."

"Why?" I asked, turning back to her. "What was reported?"

"Spontaneous human combustion," Penny said, stopping me in my tracks.

"Get out."

"There were over a dozen calls," Penny replied, shaking her head. "Several came from Argent Industries, while others were around town. When patrol cars were sent out, they either encountered Argent personnel on the scene, or saw them leaving. So Stallings and Robbins decided to pay them a visit."

"What did Argent say?" I asked, resuming our journey through the lobby. As we continued, I saw over a dozen police officers and investigators standing with an equal number of private security guards and corporate suits. A stench filled the air, and I sniffed at an unpleasant odor.

"They denied everything, of course," Penny said with a roll of her eyes. "Right up until one of their representatives burst into flames in front of us."

As she said it, we walked past a police line, and I got my first look at the still smoking remains of a human being.

The body was almost unrecognizable, with every inch of its skin and tissues blackened and charred. Its spine was twisted, warped by the heat of an intense fire. The arms were shriveled and malformed, the fingers curled as they grasped in desperation.

Parts of the form had already broken away, the torso and muscles crumbling to ash. The dark soot made a stark contrast with the white marble of the floors, and I briefly wondered what poor soul would be tasked with polishing the stone until there was no trace of the horrific death.

"You said you saw it?" I asked softly as I looked down at the body. The other investigators had already made room, and I knelt down to take a closer look, pushing my bag around to my back to keep it from swinging too close to the remains.

"He and a few others had come down to insist they knew nothing about the reports," Penny said, averting her eyes. I couldn't blame her. To me, the body was almost inhuman in its decay; but she'd seen the man only moments before he was burned alive, no doubt screaming in agony as he passed.

"Guess that changed their tune," I said as I looked over the remains.

Most of the man's clothes had burned along with him, but I could make out bits and pieces here and there that hadn't gone up with the rest. The fabric was a light gray, likely similar to what I was seeing on some of the other business men and women across the way. That which had touched the man was nothing more than ash, but the looser sections had escaped the flames.

Which was curious. Usually when someone caught fire, it was from exposure to hot flame or an accelerant being spread on their clothes or person. Previous reports of spontaneous human combustion had been debunked by the discovery of body oils that had exacerbated the spread of the fire. Others were fueled by alcohols spilled on clothing, and in a few rare cases of homicide, a murderer would coat the victim in nearly undetectable accelerants.

But in any of those cases, the clothing itself would always act as a fuel for the fire that burned the victim. Not all cases were fatal, and very rarely would anyone be burned so completely.

With clothing still intact, and the body all but incinerated, I was at a loss. Nothing could do this. Nothing could burn someone to the bone like this without any visible source.

Not even magic.

"Hayes," Deputy Chief Inspector Tobiah Robbins said as he walked up. I stood and nodded grimly in greeting as we both looked down at what was left of the man.

"You're telling me that he just went up in flames in front of you?" I asked them both, finally tearing my eyes away to look between them. "That there was no fire-starter involved? No attack?"

"There was nothing," Robbins said with a shake of his head. The man's dark eyes were steady, but there was a tension around them that told me just how unnerved he was by what he'd seen. "The man had spoken to us not two minutes before he bent over in pain. The next thing we knew, his skin was bubbling as if he were exposed to intense heat, and then he was engulfed."

"No odors? No sign of accelerant?"

"Nothing," he confirmed. "He was as crisp and clean as the rest of them." He nodded back toward the suits, who I took a moment to observe.

The corporate contingent to the crowd looked like they belonged on a film set or photo shoot rather than an office lobby late at night. There were a handful of them that looked fairly normal, as far as lawyers and businesswomen went, but a couple of them were nearly breathtaking in their appearance.

One woman in particular stood out from the rest. Dressed in a white pantsuit, her hair hung about her in loose curls, framing a pale face that Hollywood would be envious of. Her curves were subtle beneath the fabrics, but there was a sensuality to her posture that drew the eye. I felt my pulse quicken even across the room from her. And when her gaze drifted over me, I quickly looked away, a school-boy embarrassment creeping into my cheeks.

"You said something about other reports?" I asked, clearing my throat and attempting to concentrate on something other than the striking woman.

"Two that we know of," Penny confirmed. "First responders arrived to see black SUVs leaving the scene. They ran plates, which they linked back to Argent Industries. An hour later, at the second scene, officers encountered another pair of Suburbans. Private security was busy loading something into the trunk of one vehicle, and the police ordered them to stand down."

"What happened?" I asked, sneaking a glance at the woman across the way before focusing on Penny again. "Did they not seize the evidence?"

"No," she said with slight shake of her head. "A… representative of Argent Industries spoke with the officers. When backup arrived, the first responders were at a loss to explain why they'd let them go."

"Ah," I said, nodding. "Sounds like Argent Industries might be tied up in the hanky-panky."

Robbins arched an eyebrow, and I cleared my throat. "So the callers described something like this?" I said, gesturing toward the body.

"Yes," Penny replied. "And there were calls for another instance, which actually came in earlier than the others. Those calls originated here at Argent, but so far they've refused to tell us anything. Even after seeing it happen to one of their people."

"Why aren't they cooperating?" I asked, frowning as I looked over at the others. Their little meeting was breaking up, and a familiar face glanced our way.

"Apparently they don't want to work with the police," Robbins said. There was a certain emphasis on the last word that drew my attention, but I didn't have time to question him on it. The man I'd seen broke away from the stunning woman's entourage and headed our way.

"Why aren't you guys all over them?" I asked Lieutenant John Stallings as he joined us.

"Hello to you too, Hayes," the man said calmly.

Stallings and I had met years earlier. Our first encounter was actually back when he was second in command over at S.I., when he'd been dispatched to investigate my involvement in some mysterious fires in town. I'd proven my innocence, but the detectives over at Special Investigations smelled a rat. Robbins had clued in their former commander about my role in his more questionable cases, and the department had decided to keep me on retainer.

Since then, I'd worked with Stallings and the demoted Detective Sergeant Murphy quite a few times. We had a good respect for each other, even if the Lieutenant didn't go all-in on the supernatural. He was too good of a cop to ignore it, but too sane to accept it whole-heartedly.

"You're telling me your guys haven't crawled all over these suits?" I asked him. "Why don't you sick Murphy on them? She worries thing down to the bone."

"That's the last thing she needs," Stallings said with a somewhat tired tone to his voice. "She's already got enough people looking to boot her from the force; if she gets on the wrong side of this, there's nothing I can do. These Argent people seem to have some clout in City Hall. I've already gotten three calls since we arrived. Two from City Council members, and another from the mayor's office, telling me to back off."

"Damn," I said, shooting another glance at the corporate types. The knockout was looking our way, and a chill crept up my spine.

For just a second, I thought I saw a smirk at the corner of her mouth, as if she knew we were talking about them. But that was impossible, seeing as they were a few dozen yards away.

"They've already got their lawyers out, trying to push non-disclosure agreements on us," Stalling said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Regardless," Robbins said, turning back to me. "We've got at least one confirmed death, and reasonable concern for three others. But without their cooperation, we're not going to get anywhere."

"So what do you want me to do?" I asked him, glancing down at the body.

"One of the first calls from Argent said something about a hit-list," Stalling said softly. I turned back to him, my eyes widening as he explained. "They said that Argent employees were being targeted, and that they would be taken out one by one."

"These are assassinations," I said softly.

"So it seems," Robbins said. "Based on the calls, it appears that there's been one every hour, on the hour, for the last four hours. And there's every likelihood that there will be another at ten o'clock."

I checked my watch, and whistled softly when I saw the time. "We don't have long then."

"No," Robbins said. "So I need you to find whoever's doing this."

"Chief…" I said softly, trailing off as I looked at him in mild surprise. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but this is a bit beyond me."

"You've found three suspects in record time in the last six months," he said, his thick eyebrows furrowing. "Suspects no-one else could find a trace of. And all you had was some personal items."

I gaped at the man. "Look, I brushed up on some tricks, but nothing that'll help with this."

Which was true. Months earlier, I'd been involved in an investigation back in my hometown of Lake Providence, Michigan. An amateur demon summoner had been causing havoc, and half a dozen kids were dead before I managed to put an end to things.

But it had largely been luck that had led me to him. I'd had some exposure to tracking spells over the years, but I had no talent for them myself. In the world of magic, I was a nobody. Everything I could do was based on using magically crafted items that were enchanted with spells. Casting anything on my own, with my own power, was nearly impossible. So I hadn't really tried.

After the Lake Providence case, I'd realized that was a mistake. Had I known how to do a simple tracking spell, I could have found the suspect a lot sooner. So I'd made an effort to learn some very fundamental magics, mostly using crafted items for just such purposes.

I glanced at my new watch, and then shook my head.

"Chief, even with what I can do, there's nothing here from the perpetrator." I gestured at the body. "You said yourself that no-one attacked him. So unless we find something on him that they used to target him, or one of the other—"

I cut myself off as a thought crossed my mind. Robbins' eyebrow arched again. Stallings had the same stoic look he always did whenever anyone talked about magic in front of him, and Penny was carefully looking away. She'd only recently been clued in on the magical community, and hadn't quite come to terms with it yet.

"You look like you thought of something," Robbins said.

"Well…" I said, hesitating. "There was something…"

"What is it?"

I sighed, and glanced around to make sure no-one was close enough to hear us. I noted the beautiful woman across the way was still present, and seemed to have a concerning tilt to her head.

I spoke softly, just in case. Because you never know.

"There was a spell," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's one I came across during my studies."

"And it might help?" Robbins pressed.

"It was supposed to track a spell back to the spell-caster," I explained.

"If this was magic, that would be exactly what we need," Stalling said softly as he looked to the remains.

I wanted to ask him what else could incinerate a man like that if _not_ magic, but I let it go. "The problem is, I never got it to work."

"Could you try?" Robbins asked.

"If I had samples," I said, nodding toward the body. "I'd need something from the individual targeted. If there's any magical residue left from what hit that guy, it might work. But more would be better."

"More?" Robbins asked with a frown. "We can probably get as much as needed, in this case."

"No, not from him," I explained. "The closest we got to succeeding was when we used multiple items from the same caster."

"We?" Penny asked, arching an eyebrow. She did it a lot better than Robbins. Or maybe it was just that her hazel eyes were a lot more pleasant to look at.

"My lab assistant," I lied, not wanting to get into it.

"You're talking about items from multiple spells," Stallings clarified. I nodded. "So if we had samples from the other purported victims, you might be able to do it," Stallings said with a shake of his head. "Which is the one thing we can't get with Argent stonewalling us."

Robbins turned to look at the suits, who all seemed to be discussing something amongst themselves. I found the dark haired woman staring at me, her eyes large and intense.

And I had a sinking suspicion that my concern about being overheard had been all too accurate.

"They have as much interest in finding who's responsible as we do," Robbins said. As he spoke, the woman and several of those with her started our way. "Maybe we can work something out."

"I don't know—" I began, but stopped as the others arrived.

"You are Mr. Hayes?" a man said, his dark suit matching the scowl he directed my way.

"Maybe," I said, as alarm bells started ringing in my head.

"You are a private arson investigator?" he continued.

"On occasion," I replied, caught off guard at their identification of me. Had the others said something about me before I arrived? Or had they looked into me only after I'd approached with Penny?

Were their resources really that good?

"We would like to hire you to consult on this matter," the man said, not bothering to glance at the body he'd walked past.

"I'm already consult—" I began.

"Something can be worked out," Robbins said, cutting me off with a warning look. "Mr. Hayes has already been brought in by my department, but I don't see where we can't work together. As long as information is shared both ways."

"Unacceptable," the man replied immediately. "We require confidentiality agreements for all of our consultants, and Mr. Hayes will not be at liberty to discuss anything with other parties."

"Well, I guess that's that—" I said, only to be cut off again.

"I believe we can come to an agreement," the raven-haired beauty said. I turned to her, and found eyes like storm clouds focused on me.

"Full disclosure," Robbins insisted.

"That will be impossible," she replied smoothly, her gaze not leaving mine. "There are trade secrets to be considered, but we will agree to status updates from Mr. Hayes as he works with our security detail to investigate."

Robbins hesitated, clearly not used to having terms dictated. But Stallings had said the corporation had significant pull, and I could tell that the Deputy Chief Inspector was weighing his options.

"I want someone with him—" he began.

"We will allow Mr. Hayes to provide hourly updates," she countered, finally turning to him. The tall man flinched under the look she gave him, something I'd never seen before. Nor had I ever seen a private citizen dictate anything to the police. Not without getting tossed into the back of a squad car for interfering with an investigation.

"Um, what about—"

"My people would like to know just what yours have been up to," Stallings said, taking his turn at cutting me off.

"To an extent," the woman said with a slight nod. "I will have Robert here provide our statement, along with everything we can share."

"But—"

"And any leads will be shared immediately," Robbins insisted. The woman turned back to him, allowing a long pause to grow before finally giving a slight nod.

"As Mr. Hayes sees fit," she replied.

"But—"

"Woody," Robbins said, cutting me off. My mouth opened and closed as he took my arm and led me a few steps away. "This is the only way we're going to learn anything. It's the reason I brought you in."

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. I thought back to what he'd said about them not working with the cops, and realized just what he'd meant.

"They don't want to work with us, and we can't trust them," he explained quietly. "You can be a middleman. And if your spell thingy works, maybe we can even save a few lives in the process, despite their interference."

I gaped like a fish for another moment as my brain rebooted. Robbins helped by taking my arm and leading me back over. "I think time is of the essence?" Robbins said suggestively, letting the Argent people know that he was aware of the time schedule the killer seemed to be keeping.

"Of course," the woman said with a slight nod. "If Mr. Hayes will come with us?" She gestured toward the far bank of elevators.

"Um," I said, trying to delay. "My bike is out front."

"We can have someone bring it around," the woman assured me.

"I'll need some things from it."

"Of course," she replied, her smile tightening somewhat.

"Touch base as soon as you have something," Robbins said to me, before leading Penny away. The girl's eyes were large as she walked toward the front, clearly just as surprised at the turn of events as I was.

"Hayes," Stallings said, handing me a card. I glanced at it, and saw that it had contact numbers. I already had them in my phone, but he knew that I'd replaced a few over the last year, and didn't have his number memorized. He'd prepared accordingly.

Clearly everyone had known what was happening except for me.

The Lieutenant was led away by Robert the Lawyer, leaving me with the beauty and her retinue. The woman gestured again toward the elevators.

A large part of me wanted to walk away. The alarm bells were still ringing, and they'd only gotten louder the closer I'd gotten to the woman. Getting in deep with a corporation that had allegedly covered up three deaths already that night didn't seem like a good idea.

But I cast a glance at the body still lying on the floor.

Spontaneous human combustion. A legend for as long as humanity had used fire. Debunked countless times, and yet still a fixture in society's consciousness. And now apparently proven to be real, to some extent.

"Alright," I said softly, sealing my fate.

"Thank you, Mr. Hayes," the woman said, her voice dripping with an alluring gratitude that made my knees weak. "You won't regret this."

I silently cursed the woman as we started forward. Hadn't she ever seen a movie or read a book? Whenever anyone said, ' _you won_ _'_ _t regret this_ ', it was all but assured that it would be the most God-awful decision they'd ever made in their life.

But if things were as they seemed, someone out there was killing others in an incredible and unbelievable way. Despite the obvious danger of hunting a killer, I was intrigued. And between self-preservation and curiosity, curiosity won.

I just hoped I fared better than the cat.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After passing my keys off to a guard, I followed the woman toward the elevators.

"We'll have someone retrieve a sample from Armand," she said. "Will a vial be enough?"

I eyed her as she walked beside me. "Heard all that, did you?"

"There's no time to be coy, Mr. Hayes," she said, her voice growing firm. "Suffice it to say that we have our means of eavesdropping on anything said in our building."

Her comment was vague enough to tell me everything while revealing nothing. Perhaps her corporation had the entire facility bugged; perhaps someone had been pointing a handheld listening device at us, and then fed her the information. Maybe that's even how they got my name, if Robbins and Stallings hadn't already given them my profile.

Or perhaps there was more to her than seemed.

"That should be enough," I confirmed as our entourage loaded onto an elevator. It was just as extravagant as the lobby, with marble veneer covering every inch of the lift. The floor buttons were trimmed in silver, and the buttons themselves glinted like opal.

One of the guards escorting the woman removed a key, and slid it into a subtle keyhole on the button panel. He then pressed a combination of buttons, and the elevator began to rise. I turned back to the woman and began to ask a question, before stumbling over myself as I got a close-up look at her beauty.

It's hard to express what it is about some women that attracts us. They don't have to be the most beautiful creature in the room to have every set of eyes drawn to them. Something draws your eyes unconsciously. It seems to make your gaze drift their way. Makes you self-consciously aware of just how much time you're spending stealing glances. It's an innate sensuality, a naturally born gift that draws you to them.

Whatever it was, the woman had it in spades.

And on _top_ of that, she would always be the most beautiful creature in the room.

Her dark hair fell in loose curls around her like a mane. Her skin was flawless, even with very little on display. The lines and features of her face were what every woman hoped for; the sharp cheekbones, the slightly sunken cheeks. The lush full lips as red as strawberries, and eyes the color of storm clouds.

"Focus, Mr. Hayes," she said. And I realized I'd been staring a bit too long.

"Um," I said, perhaps flushing with some embarrassment. "I seem to be at a disadvantage."

The woman smiled slightly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You can call me Ms. D'Argento."

"Alright, Ms. D'Argento," I said, nodding. "Care to tell me what the hell is going on here?"

The woman arched a delicate eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Look, I get it," I said softly. "You're looking out for your people. But stone-walling the cops isn't going to help matters."

"The police would be of no help in our situation," she replied as the elevator slowed. "We have engaged others to assist that are more qualified in such matters."

"And what matters would that be?" I asked as the elevator doors opened.

By then, the surprise of their decor had worn off. I barely spared the hallway a glance as we stepped out, simply noting that once again that marble covered every inch of the space.

But I quickly noticed that there was more to it, and my eyes glided over the walls as we made our way down the hall. Niches were placed between marble columns, each containing what looked like priceless paintings or sculptures. Each piece was illuminated with its own silver light fixture, and the frames of the paintings were of the same material. It wasn't chrome or polished steel; everything frame and accoutrement was made of solid silver.

No museum in the world could afford the display that Argent Industries kept in a hallway of their corporate office.

"Someone is attacking our organization," D'Argento explained, drawing me back from my study.

"What do you know about them?" I asked, trying to ignore the surroundings that spoke of wealth and power that I couldn't imagine.

"Enough," she said. "The issue is that we cannot locate those responsible." Her stormy eyes shifted back toward mine as we paused outside a set of double doors. "That is where you come in."

Two of the guards with her opened the doors, revealing what looked like a private clinic. Inside was what I assumed was a doctor's wet dream, with all the latest and greatest medical equipment and supplies. Doctors and nurses were moving back and forth across the room, but all of them stopped and turned when they saw the woman.

"Ms. D'Argento," a woman in a doctor's coat said, stepping forward. "We're retrieving samples from each victim now."

"Thank you, Dr. Manning," D'Argento said. She gestured to me. "Please provide them to Mr. Hayes."

The doctor nodded, and stepped away. I watched as she approached a gurney to one side of the room. Atop it lay another scorched body, barely recognizable as human remains. There was another on either side of that one, bringing the count to at least four, like Robbins and Stallings had suspected.

"These people died earlier this evening?" I asked as I stepped closer to the first body. Like the one downstairs, the victim had died horribly. By the end, they'd curled into a fetal position, but there had been no escaping the magics that been cast.

"Every hour, on the hour," D'Argento confirmed.

"Who's being targeted?" I asked, doing my best to ignore the stench permeating the room. The bodies had been so badly burned that they no longer smelled like flesh; there was simply a charcoal smell, the kind you'd get when cleaning ashes from a fireplace.

"My family," the woman replied. Her response drew my attention back. "We are a family business, Mr. Hayes. Many of those in positions of authority are blood relatives." Her eyes glinted for a moment, seeming to flash with silver streaks as the storm clouds swirled. "They may be distant, but they are _family_."

"I'm sorry," I told her, glancing back at the bodies.

"Can you find them?" she asked, forcing herself to focus on the living rather than the dead.

"I take it we're worried about more victims?" I asked, even as doctors arrived with the vials of ash. I removed a roll-up vial case I used for my own investigations, and removed several tubes to make room for the ones they provided.

"We received a warning just over six hours ago," D'Argento replied as she watched me pack away pieces of her relatives. The storm in her eyes grew as she spoke, but her voice remained calm and cold. "Twelve names were provided. The message said that one would die each hour until dawn, unless we agreed to their terms."

"What terms?" I asked as I closed the case and placed it back in my bag.

Silver lightning flashed in her eyes. "That is not for you to know. Suffice it to say that the thing they wish for would bring no good. They want something from us; from me. Something I refuse to give. I will not be _manipulated_."

She said the last as if it were the worst fate possible. Even worse than being burned alive.

"Do you know anything about how they're doing this?" I asked, my mind struggling to understand how such magics were possible.

"The message stated that they obtained samples from each of the named victims. They have been preserved with magic, so we have no way of knowing when the samples were taken." When I looked to her, she explained. "Hair. Nails. Skin." Each word was icier than the last. "Blood."

"Blood magic," I said softly, understanding. Using such things were powerful when it came to spells. My eyes fell upon the victims again, each twisted in their death throes, their mouths opened wide as they screamed until their last breath.

This was no magic I'd heard of. It was said that magic was born of life and the living. Those that practiced it were tied to that which they cast, and their magic reflected their soul. You had to believe in magic to make it happen. Which meant that someone out there believed that this type of cruel and barbaric death was deserved. Justified. Sane.

Which terrified me. What kind of person could do this to another?

"Do we know anything else?" I asked her, trying to keep myself from shaking. "Who might be next?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head slowly as she stared at those that had already died. "They have not followed any discernible pattern. The only one we know for sure is who they are saving for last."

When her stormy eyes met mine, I didn't have to guess who. They wanted something from her; hers would be the last death if she didn't give them what they wanted. Until then, she would watch her family die one by one as she stood helplessly by.

"Can you find them?" she asked, as calmly as one could, knowing that her death was only hours away. Knowing that her life, and that of everyone close to her, hinged on the answer.

"I'll try," I replied, unwilling to make promises. "But there are others that are more qualified. One in particular. The Wizard, he's in the phone—"

"He is indisposed," she said, confirming that she was at least aware of him. "Loath as I would be to put myself in debt to him, he was my first thought. But the perpetrator has timed their attack so that he is not of use."

"There are other practitioners in town," I continued, but stopped when her eyes swiveled back to mine.

"You are not the first I have brought in, Mr. Hayes," she said. "Those that died in public were out searching for those murdering us. We have used what resources we have, as well as those in the local community that we thought could be of some help. So far, everyone has failed." Her eyes flashed. "I grow tired of failure."

More guards arrived at the door, along with two more beautiful creatures. Ms. D'Argento turned to them, and both nodded slightly.

"I've prepared another team," one of the two said, a woman of considerable height. Skin like porcelain covered a lithe and muscular body. She was dressed in white leather pants that hugged her muscled legs, and wore a leather vest that left her arms bare and looked more business than pleasure, but was still a pleasure to behold. A short cape was draped over shoulders, hanging down about a foot in both front and back.

Her long black hair was in a tight braid, giving her pale, full face a stark look. Eyes like slate fixated on me, their focus cold but not cruel, before shifting back to D'Argento.

"Thank you, Natalia. If you and Carlo will see to escorting Mr. Hayes?" she asked.

"Of course," Natalia replied, dipping her head respectfully. It wasn't a bow, but there was something subservient to the motion. The beautiful man beside her mirrored the gesture.

I can say that he was beautiful with some confidence, as I'd seen countless male models with his chiseled features trying to sell me everything from wrist watches to cologne to tagless underwear. He was dressed like Natalia, covered in white leathers and poised for a fight. His eyes trailed over me briefly, finding nothing of interest.

"Any word from Anya?" D'Argento asked, almost as an afterthought.

"She is coming," Natalia replied. "She was already out for the evening, but will join us."

"Good," the raven-haired beauty replied with a slight nod, with something like relief in her voice. She turned back to me, and fixated those gray storm clouds on me one last time. "Please, Mr. Hayes. Help my family. If you do, you will be richly compensated."

It seemed a little late in the game to be asking for numbers. And based on what I'd seen of the building, Argent Industries would have no problem paying up.

Of course, that was assuming I was successful. Because if I failed, then this beautiful creature wouldn't live to see the sun.

"I'll do what I can," I assured her.

With that, she gave me one final nod, and then strode from the room. I hadn't noticed a number of others that had been waiting for her to finish with me. They trailed after her, along with several guards. Natalia and Carlo remained, the two beautiful creatures fixing their eyes on me.

And I wondered when I had started thinking of them as 'creatures' rather than humans.

"Are you ready?" Natalia said, her words crisp.

"I'll need to grab some things from my bike," I told her as I moved toward the doors. She turned with me, and Carlo took up the rear.

"Your motorcycle was moved to the garage," she informed me. "We will coordinate there, and you can retrieve what you need."

Once we were in the hallway, I pulled out my cell phone and hit one of the speed dials. It was ringing as I headed for the elevators.

"What are you doing?" Carlo asked from behind me as it rang.

"I can't do this alone," I told him truthfully. "I'm not particularly talented at magic. But I know something that might work, and someone who might be able to do it."

Carlo looked like he wanted to protest, but the tall woman beside me cut him off.

"Let him work," Natalia said, nodding slightly to me as the phone call connected.

"Hey Woody," Olivia said, my friend's tone cheerful despite the late hour.

Olivia was a local small-time practitioner. I'd met her a couple years earlier while on a case. She was familiar with many of the basic elements of magic, having learned from a coven of practitioners. Whenever I needed help with mortal magic that was beyond my ability, I turned to her.

Part of me worried about getting her involved in this. Those alarm bells were still ringing, and I was doing my best to ignore them. Putting myself in danger was one thing; putting her there was something else.

But without her, I wouldn't stand a chance of succeeding.

"Olivia, I need your help ASAP," I said as I continued walking toward the elevators.

"What's wrong?" she asked, immediately picking up on the tension in my voice.

"You remember when we were researching locater spells?" I was sure she did; we'd spent quite some time together trying to find every possible way to find a missing person.

When I was ten years old, my sister had disappeared without a trace. She'd been fifteen, and neither of us had known anything of magic or monsters, or the things that would take a child from their home. There was a chance she had left of her own accord, but I never really believed it. Things had been hard at times, but I would never accept that she'd leave me behind.

My parents had investigated, but never found a clue as to what had happened. Years went by, and they eventually gave up hope. To be honest, so had I, until at seventeen I learned about the supernatural world. Once I knew what else was out there, I had feared for my sister in terrifying new ways. Ignorance had never been bliss, but my awakening to the hidden world of magic filled my dreams with fresh nightmares as to her fate. But it had also provided new hope for finding her.

Nothing had worked yet. But maybe one of our failures could now help others.

"Yes, of course," she said quickly.

"Do you remember the one for tracking spells back to the caster?"

"Oh. Um, yes," she said, growing hesitant as she thought upon those efforts.

"I need you to prep for that spell right now. I'm heading your way." The elevator doors opened, but I waited, afraid of losing the call.

"But Woody, you remember we never…" she said hesitantly. "We never got it to actually _work_."

"No time like the present," I assured her. "But this time is different. I've got samples from four sources hit with the same spell. They're all pretty fresh, only a few hours old."

"But how will that do us any good?" Olivia asked.

Carlo held the elevator open, while Natalia waited for me to finish the call. "I'm thinking that, instead of doing one at a time, we try all four at once," I explained. "Let the remnants of the spells resonate together."

"Oh," Olivia said, her tone thoughtful. "That might actually work."

"Good. I'll be there in ten minutes. Gotta go, see you soon," I said, before ending the call and stepping onto the elevator.

"Never worked before?" Natalia asked softly as she boarded the elevator.

"No time like the present," I replied with a shrug. I tried to make it look casual, but inside my pulse was racing. My call volume hadn't been loud enough for her to hear Olivia's end of the conversation.

Which didn't change the fact that she had.

The elevator descended in silence, with me wondering if it was already too late to regret getting involved.

When the doors finally opened, I saw that we were in a subterranean parking garage. The elevator was one of several positioned on a platform looking out over the brightly lit space. It was mostly empty, save for a scattering of cars here and there, and a line of black Chevy Suburbans parked right in front of the elevators.

Waiting beside the Suburbans was a football team.

"You guys hired the Bears for personal security?" I asked as I looked over the massive men lined up beside each vehicle. Almost every one of them was big enough to be a linebacker.

"We hire the best," Carlo said somewhat snidely. I wasn't entirely sure he got the Bears reference, though; not everyone follows the sports ball, after all. Maybe he thought I was referring to were-bears or something.

Wait. Are were-bears real? I'd have to look that up.

Whatever the case, they certainly had the money to outfit their personnel. Each burly guard wore an identical para-military uniform. Their shirts and pants were all a uniform black, as were the tactical vests they wore. Glock pistols were strapped to their thighs in holsters, and it looked like spare magazines were tucked into pockets of the vests.

"Where's my bike?" I asked, looking around. Natalia pointed, and I spotted it a ways off. "I'll be right back."

Carlo started to follow, but Natalia held him back. I trotted down the platform and descended the short flight of stairs before making my way over to the WLA. The key was still in the ignition, which I quickly put away. I guess they didn't worry about anyone stealing it with Delta Force only a few yards away.

I shrugged my work bag off of my shoulder and quickly went about my business. Most of my investigative supplies went into one of the saddlebags over the rear tire. Other than the test tubes filled with human remains, I didn't think I'd need much.

Once I had made room, I moved a few choice items from the saddlebags to the one I carried. My helmet went in, as did a snap-on mask that would cover the lower part of my face. A pair of gloves that matched my black leather jacket followed.

With those stored away, I rotated around the bike and opened the other saddlebag. I glanced up, making sure the others weren't paying too much attention as I crouched down beside the tire. Not seeing where anyone was paying me any mind, I shrugged off my motorcross jacket and withdrew my Beretta Px4 Storm from the saddlebag. I shrugged the underarm harness over my shoulders, and then tucked the loaded pistol and two spare magazines into the holsters under each arm.

There were concealment laws in Chicago, but one glance at the people I was traveling with was enough to assure me I'd need whatever protection I could get. I shrugged the jacket back on, and only partially zipped it, so that the bulge from the weapon was less noticeable.

Next out of the bag was a set of knives. A silver one went into one boot, while a combat knife went into the other. A small kenai throwing blade I'd received from a Kenku warrior went into one jacket pocket, its enchanted blade coming in handy more than once. After that, I pulled a pair of iron spheres the size of pool balls, and tucked them safely away in my bag.

Then came the two foot long rod of engraved steel. It was encased in a leather sheath, and I tucked it away into my messenger bag. The small, rounded silver pommel on one end jutted out the back of the bag, but it looked fairly inconspicuous. Even if anyone looked it over, all they'd see was a dark metal bar with a silver inset.

While I was crouched down, I gave one last inspection of my other items. A matching set of silver engraved rings adorned each ring finger, and if anyone noticed that the engravings matched those on the rod, then they were entirely too close, and far too observant. Another ring, that one bone-white and made of some indeterminate material, lived permanently on my right middle finger.

I checked the large metal watch on my left wrist, and wondered if I'd put it to some use. Next was the black iron bead bracelets over each wrist, both of which I'd used numerous times.

Last was what looked like a studded leather bracelet on my right wrist. I fiddled with one of the studs, which upon closer inspection, were actually revealed to be removable snap-heads, like you'd find on a button-up jacket. Each was capped in jewels of varying shades or engraved metal heads.

"You ready over there?" Carlo called, and I quickly snapped the saddlebag shut and checked myself over as I stood up.

"Coming," I said as I headed back toward the others. As I approached, another elevator arrived, and emitted four more beautiful creatures.

The first two were notable only for their similarities. Male and female, both had the same dark hair and stunning beauty of Ms. D'Argento and the others. They were also clad in white leathers like Natalia and Carlo, and I had to wonder at the fashion choice. The two headed off toward the SUVs, leaving the other two new arrivals behind.

One headed for Natalia, and I got only a glimpse of her before she disappeared behind an SUV, toting a bag over one shoulder. That left me time to study the fourth arrival.

Put simply, the woman was beautiful. If anything, she was more stunning than the others. At gunpoint, I'd admit that she was second only to Ms. D'Argento herself, and that only barely.

But where D'Argento's beauty was both stunning and subtle, this one was blatant and wicked. There was something in her eyes, something that invoked thoughts of whips, straps and chains. Something that made you think of panted breaths of passion. Something that made you hear cries of sweet agony before one final release.

She was the kind of woman that made you think there were worse ways to go than going to bed and never getting up again.

Her eyes were smoldering, and I found myself slowing down to see if she needed anything, like maybe my soul. Her hair was dark like the others, but there were highlights blended in those locks that set her apart. Much of her flesh was on display under the light sun-dress she wore. Thin straps floated over her delicate shoulder-blades, and I could see myself kissing along them as I made my way up her neck, or maybe even down to her ample chest.

The hem of the dress was distractingly short, leaving most of her toned legs exposed. They weren't overly muscled; they were fit, the kind of legs that looked great in heels and better as they draped themselves across you in bed.

I shook my head, surprised at the images making their way through my head. There was no time for those thoughts. And I couldn't for the life of me think of why I was suddenly and painfully aroused.

"Off with another, Natalia?" the stunner said to the warrior woman. She leaned against the door of the elevator and crooked a leg up, lifting the hem just a little higher.

"Have a care, Madeline," Natalia responded crisply. "That is, for once, try caring about something other than yourself."

Anger flashed like quicksilver in Madeline's eyes. "You doubt my concern? I could be the next one turned into a human _torch_."

"Like I said, Madeline," Natalia called as she turned toward an SUV. "Try caring about something _else_."

The rest of us followed Natalia, leaving the beautiful and furious girl behind. I spared one last glance at her as she scowled after the taller woman, the fury in her eyes not matching the slight smile that crept at the corners of her mouth.

Before I could wonder at that, the elevator doors closed, whisking her out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Natalia and Carlo led me to a pair of SUVs. Both were black Chevy Suburbans, with windows tinted darker than legally permitted. I glanced at the tires, which were an odd honeycomb shape rather than a normal inflated ring. I could see through the tire lattice, and realized there was no pressurized section. That meant there was nothing that could go flat, should we run over a nail.

Or worse.

Standing between the vehicles was the rest of our search team. Four guards stood waiting, the smallest of which loomed over my six foot frame by several inches and outweighed me by almost a hundred pounds, all of which consisted of muscle. The largest was a foot taller, and most likely doubled my weight.

"This is Mr. Schaeffer," Natalia said, gesturing to a blond man with a military haircut and startling blue eyes. The man nodded in greeting, his face and jaw as chiseled as the rest of him. There weren't any laugh lines there, and I suspected it was because the man had never laughed.

"Mr. Hayes," he said, his voice bland and without accent. "You'll be riding with myself and Mr. Dillon," he said nodding toward a dark skin man that looked to be the comedian in the group, seeing as he looked like he may have laughed once or twice. His own military haircut was hidden beneath a short-brimmed cap.

"Mr. Cooper will be driving the second car, and Mr. Eliot will accompany him," Schaeffer continued, looking to the other two men. The first sported an impressive mustache, and covered what looked like a balding scalp with a cowboy hat that clearly wasn't regulation. The other man was the behemoth, his shaved head shining darkly under the florescent lighting.

"They give you a first name, or do you go by K2?" I asked the mountain of a man, who almost had to put his chin on his chest to look down at me.

"Just Eliot," the man replied dully, the bass pitch of his voice vibrating in my chest.

"Nice to meet you, Just Eliot," I said, nodding up at him.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he declined to respond. Instead, he made his way around to the passenger side of the other vehicle while Cowboy Cooper opened a rear door for Natalia.

"We're running out of time," Natalia said. "Give Dillon the address."

Carlo slammed the rear of that vehicle shut and joined Natalia in the back. That left me to join Schaeffer and Dillon, the latter of which was starting the engine as I climbed into the second row.

When I saw the person sitting beside me, my eyes widened.

"Come on," the pretty girl said, shooting me a dark scowl as I settled into the seat. But despite the urgency, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Groaning with annoyance, she leaned across me and pulled my door shut. It slammed with an extra weight to it, and I wondered if there was bullet-proof plating protecting the vehicle. It seemed likely, considering the tires I'd seen.

As she settled back, Schaeffer turned around from the front passenger seat. "What's the address?"

I mumbled out the street number for Olivia's apartment building, and Schaeffer quickly punched it into a GPS. Dillon was already pulling out of the parking space and making his way toward the exit ramp.

I sat there awkwardly, holding my bag in my lap, while doing my best not to stare at the girl.

"Are you going to put that away?" she asked, sounding irritated.

"What? Yes," I said, turning to put my bag in the rear. As I did, I noted that the third row seating had been removed from the Suburban to make room for a larger cargo area. The entire space was filled with what looked like military-grade weapons crates and gym bags. I put my bag behind my seat, and then turned back toward the front, keeping my eyes off the girl.

As we passed out of the subterranean garage, I noted the gates that had opened to allow us through. Rather than your typical wooden drop gate or chain fence gate, the building had a pair of wrought iron gates that bookended a security booth. Once we were through, Dillon turned into a side alley, and then out onto the street.

The rain had picked up slightly, but it still wasn't that bad. Just enough to require the blades to be constantly running, adding to the din from the wheels. The odd tires made a rumbling noise as we quickly got to speed, cutting through traffic as if we were a presidential cavalcade.

"What's with the tires?" I asked.

"They're honeycomb run-flats," Schaeffer said, glancing back at me. "The military should be getting them later this year."

I resisted an urge to whistle. I'd seen first-hand how much money Argent Industries had to throw around, but his little revelation said a lot more. If Argent could get their hands on stuff before the military, it meant they had a lot of pull.

I thought back to what Stallings had said of their contacts in City Hall, and wondered how a corporation got so influential. Influence like that took more than just money to arrange. I wondered just how powerful Argent was, and where their true power lay.

As I pondered that, I found myself stealing glances at the girl. She was turned away from me, but eventually rotated with a frustrated air. "Alright, get it over with," she said, her chrome eyes rolling in exasperation.

"Sorry," I said, feeling a flush come up my neck. "I didn't mean to stare."

"Whatever," the girl said, glancing away. I took the opportunity to look her over.

Unlike the other beautiful creatures, this one wasn't dressed as an extra for _The Matrix_ or the _Underworld_ series. She was ready to party, with skin-tight white jeans cut fashionably in all the right places, and a silver biker jacket with black spikes — fashion, not function — across the shoulders. Her shirt was a white mesh fabric that revealed more than it concealed, which had been cut away at the bottom of her ribcage, leaving her toned stomach and pierced bellybutton bare. A lacy red bra lay beneath, supporting some very distracting assets.

But the clothes, and the taught body they barely obscured, were the most mundane thing about her appearance.

Her dark hair was cropped until there was nothing but stubble across her scalp, which drew attention to the sharp lines of her face. She had heavier make-up than the others, leaving her pearlescent eyes bright and striking beneath black eyeshadow. A series of silver rings pierced the top of her right ear, and when she turned to look briefly at me, I saw that a curling silver shape encircled the left from bottom to top. The diamond stud in one nostril seemed almost prosaic compared to the rest.

The most striking feature, of course, was her tattoo.

I'd never seen anything quite like it. The ink was a glittering metallic silver that sparkled in the dim lighting of the passing headlights. The gently curling and twisting lines of argent ran up the right side of her neck, underneath the lacy black choker wrapped about her throat, until the silver streaks coiled to a stop across her jaw and temple. The design wasn't thick or crude like the tribal tattoos you always see; instead, they were thin vines of sterling growing almost organically across her skin.

The rest disappeared beneath the jacket, but I saw glimpses of more beneath the mesh shirt. The coils also extended out from the sleeve of her jacket and across the backs of both hands. And if I were to admit to staring hard enough, I might have even caught flashes of slim silver in the tears of her jeans.

"Get an eye-full?" she asked as I completed my perusal.

"Yeah. Sorry," I said again, thrown off by the girl. She looked to be a few years younger than me, and for the first time ever, I felt like some pervy old guy checking out some young thing.

I held on as we took a turn quickly, and realized we were almost to Olivia's place already. I reached in back and removed the case containing the vials from my bag.

"Will this work?" the girl asked softly, her bright eyes widening as I checked the contents.

"I hope so," I replied. I didn't want to have to tell Ms. D'Argento that I'd wasted time and resources when her people were dying. Especially considering their casual regard for the law.

"Good," the girl said, a tension visible in her shoulders as we skidded to a stop in front of the apartment building.

Three of us climbed out while Dillon remained in the driver's seat. I saw the second vehicle come to a stop behind us, and Just Eliot and the leather-clad beauties were out in a flash.

Our group made its way quickly into the lobby, trying to avoid getting soaked in the sudden downpour that erupted. Inside, I shook myself as we waited a painfully long time for an elevator to arrive. The six of us loaded on, with the behemoth taking up most of the space in the small lift. I found myself standing behind the girl, who shifted backward as Eliot shuffled his feet, looking nervously at the ceiling as the wires creaked and groaned under the combined weight.

In the process, the girl pressed her rear against me, and I sucked in a breath at the sensation. I felt her tense up, and was preparing to apologize when she turned her head around and gave me a smoldering look.

Her eyes were an impossibly bright silver as she looked over her shoulder at me, and I felt the slightest gyration in her hips. My hands started reaching for her waist on their own, but I managed to stop myself from pulling her tighter to me. My head grew dizzy as my pulse quickened, and all I could think about was pressing my lips against hers.

"Anya," Natalia snapped, her voice cutting through my emotions like ice. I shook my head and pushed farther back as the girl withdrew as far as she could in the small space. An embarrassed flush crept into her cheeks as she looked to the tall muscular woman.

"Sorry," she said, trying to put some bravado into her tone. "Your guys interrupted things when they found me."

"Control yourself," the older beauty replied smartly, turning back to the front. "Now is not the time."

Anya's embarrassment deepened, as did her frown, but she remained silent. I concentrated on recalling the Cubs stats for the pre-season, trying to calm myself.

My reaction to the girl surprised me. Sure, she was beautiful, and as exotic as one could hope for in a punky young girl. But I was in a complicated but presumably _exclusive_ relationship. I certainly didn't want to risk what I had with Violet.

Not when my girlfriend was a Greek nymph that also happened to be the most powerful being I'd ever met.

Still, my body had reacted to the contact with Anya in a startling fashion. I hadn't been that jumpy and eager at a simple touch from a girl since my late teens.

And those eyes… those silver eyes.

Something wasn't quite right about this family I was helping, but I wasn't sure what. I'd heard of all sorts of things that walked alongside humans in the daylight, and plenty of them were capable of invoking intense emotions in mortals.

One possibility came to mind, and I hoped to God I was wrong.

The elevator finally arrived on Olivia's floor, the lift lines groaning in relief as we all disembarked. Everyone waited for me to lead the way to the apartment, and I cut through their midst, carefully avoiding any contact with Anya.

When I arrived, I knocked on Olivia's door, and it opened immediately. She was freshly showered, and was wearing only a white bath robe.

"Wood—" she began, but grew silent as she saw those with me. Her eyes grew distant for a second as her body stiffened.

I turned to where she was looking, and saw that she was fixated on Anya's pearlescent eyes, still seeming to glow after our encounter in the elevator. Olivia's reaction sent a chill down my spine as I realized my worst fear had most likely just been confirmed.

Pushing my worry aside for the moment, I turned back to Olivia, and called her name a couple times. When she failed to respond, I snapped my fingers in front of her face, and she finally refocused on me. "What are you doing with them?" she asked, her voice a harsh whisper.

"I can explain," I assured her. "But for now, we need to get started."

"But—"

"Please, Olivia," I said, cutting her off. "There's a lot at stake."

"Alright," she said finally, but after letting me pass, she put a hand out to the others. "Your kind isn't welcome here," she snapped, before slamming the door in Natalia and Anya's faces.

I blinked in surprise, until Olivia spun around, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "How could you bring _them_ here? Why are you working with _them?!_ "

"Honestly? I have no idea," I said as I led her further into her apartment. "They're desperate, and they're looking for help anywhere they can find it."

"That doesn't mean _you_ have to be the one to help them," she snapped, her temper only exceeded by her fear.

"Actually, by the time I knew what was going on, I was trapped," I told her. "Apparently something big is going down. Someone's killing them one by one—"

"Good riddance!"

"— and there'll be hell to pay if their attacker succeeds," I finished. When she shot me a questioning look, I cut her off. "I don't know who or what, but they've got them in a vise, and they're not letting go. The police asked me to work with them, since there are people dying."

"But they're _White Court vampires!_ " she protested, almost on the verge of tears. "You _know_ what they did to us!"

By us, she meant her old coven, the Ordo Lebes. She'd told me about the deaths of several members, women she considered sisters, all at the plotting hands of the White Court. One of the succubi — or was it incubi? I think she said it was a guy dressed as a woman, but I wasn't sure — had started killing women across the country, trying to turn wizards into an endangered species by population control. Since most magical talent was maternally inherited, the plan had been to kill female practitioners so they could reduce future populations.

The plan had apparently failed, due in no small part to the Wizard. From what Olivia had told me, the faction doing the killing was a small subset of the larger species of White Court vampires, but they were all killers. They fed on the emotions of humans, and the feedings typically ended one way.

I'd worried that was the breed of creature I was dealing with after the things I'd felt in the elevator. It was both disappointing and good to know that I was right, but it didn't change matters. Lives were on the line.

" _Ugh!_ " Olivia said, shivering uncontrollably for a second. "Her eyes!"

I assumed she was referring to Anya. "Look, I know this is a lot to ask, but it's important," I explained. "They said someone's trying to force them to do something. They implied that if the blackmailers succeed, it's going to cause serious problems."

"We should call—" she began, but I waived her off.

"D'Argento said she'd already tried reaching the Wizard," I told her. "I don't know where he is, but he isn't available to help."

" _Fuck_ ," Olivia exclaimed, holding her forehead in her hands. "That's right, I forgot. Abby told me he was going to Louisiana. He's doing something for the Paranetters down there."

I glanced at my watch. It was almost ten. "Listen, another's due to be killed in a few minutes. They're sending curses at them on the hour every hour. They've killed four so far, and they've got material to kill another eight. I need to find them, so that I can be rid of these things."

Olivia stared at me, her arms crossed over her chest. Her glare was obvious, but I could tell when she decided to help. If not them, then me. A second later, she nodded, and shook herself again.

"Alright, I got everything set up," she said, and led me into her bedroom.

Following a freshly showered pretty girl into her bedroom when she's wearing nothing but a robe would be enough to give me ideas any day. Add to that the tension that the punky vampire had just invoked, and I figured it was understandable that I was a little aroused. Especially when Olivia dropped the robe, revealing her nude body.

The girl was a few years younger than me. She was enrolled at a local college, and danced in her free time. That left her body taut and fit in all the right ways, with thighs that flexed when she walked, and a flat belly that would feel nice under the fingertips. Her skin, the color of light caramel, was smooth and fresh. Her black hair was tied back in a ponytail and smelled slightly of vanilla, no doubt from her quick cleansing shower to help her prepare for the ritual.

I'd seen her naked more than once, because that's how she preferred to perform her spells. At first, I'd excused myself while she worked. But she'd grown frustrated with shouting through a closed door to discuss what had gone wrong when spells failed. She'd eventually ordered me to get comfortable with her nudity. After the initial shock, it hadn't been much of an issue.

That night, seeing her young body on glorious display was only making the situation worse.

"You're staring," she said absently.

"Sorry," I said, turning around. I fumbled for my bag, and removed the four vials of ash. "Here are the samples."

She took them from me, and I heard her gasp. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked, her voice weak.

"Yeah."

"Gross," she replied, and I heard her move away. I glanced around, and saw that she had prepared a basic circle with a pentacle. We'd used the same setup countless times in my search for my sister, and she'd managed to put things together in very little time. Five candles had been placed at the points of the star. Just inside each was a ritual object we'd gathered for use in the locater spells.

One by one, she lit the candles and sprinkled the ashes into four of the outer segments of the circle, equidistant from each other and the candles. Once they were in place, she knelt by the circle, and began to mentally prepare. I closed the bedroom door and turned off the lights, leaving the room illuminated only by the candles.

The five points of the star represented the different elements of magic. When casting spells, it typically helped to have objects associated with each element. To help focus our locater spells, we'd selected items associated with navigation. A desktop gyrocompass for earth; a certain former boy-scout's liquid filled base plate compass for water; an astro-compass for air; a magnetic compass for fire; and a prismatic compass for spirit.

I sat next to the door and kept quiet, while keeping my gaze averted from the curves of her body lit by the candles. There was no sound in the room other than our breathing. The air in the apartment had been turned off, so that nothing could disturb her as she began repeating the spell over and over in her head. I knew it by heart, and was reciting it silently along with her. As I watched her lips form the words, I echoed them in my mind.

She was beginning to recite the spell aloud, her voice low but growing louder, when the screaming started.

Her eyes snapped open and up to mine as I rose. Opening the door, I ran toward the hallway. When I got there, I found chaos.

Anya and Natalia were crouched, their eyes wide and shining bright silver. Both had burns on their hands, and Natalia had more across her face. They were being shielded by Schaeffer and the guards, who were watching the male vampire who'd accompanied us.

Said vampire was thrashing back and forth in the hallway as white flames erupted from his body.

I stared in shock as the fire blossomed from beneath Carlo's skin. His voice was an agonized wail that warbled with his uneven breath. One eye burst, sending sizzling fluids dribbling down his face. When the man exhaled, bits of glowing ash burst from his mouth as his lungs caught fire. Those parts that weren't burning were blistering and bleeding pale blood, until his entire body finally became engulfed.

The other two vampires had either been close to him when the curse hit, or tried to help him when it began. Whatever the source of those flames, they acted like regular fire once they got going, and had burned them easily enough. That it was real fire rather than some mystically controlled flame was evident as the walls and carpet lining the hallway began to smoke beneath Carlo's touch. While the fires that erupted from his flesh were white-hot, the flames that spread across the hallway were your more typical yellows and oranges.

If we didn't do something, the whole building could go up in seconds.

Knowing I didn't have much time, I ran to him. He was against one wall, his hands slapping at his body as if he could extinguish the flames roaring up from beneath his skin. I made to grab for him, but he lashed out blindly, and sent me into the drywall across the hall.

My breath escaped in an explosive burst as I hit the wall. The impact cracked the drywall, but thankfully there wasn't a stud beneath it. Otherwise my back and skull might have cracked along with it.

A blend of white and golden flame danced lightly across the sleeve of my jacket, and I hastily slapped it out. Flashes of violet light sparked briefly as the flame tried to touch my skin. When it was extinguished, I shook my hand, but knew that I hadn't been burned.

As I recovered from the blow, the others made another attempt at grabbing the burning vampire. Natalia and Anya tried to reach him, but his arms waved back and forth like swirling torches. Both vampires hissed in pain as the fire caused their pale flesh to bubble.

The guards looked lost. They had their Glocks, but didn't dare pull them on their superiors. Or maybe bullets wouldn't stop a White Court vampire; I didn't know enough about them. And their mortal flesh wouldn't fare any better than the vampires' if they reached for the poor man.

I considered my own discreet arsenal, and tried to decide what I could do. My Beretta was concealed in the holster beneath my jacket. I could try to put the man out of his misery, but I wasn't sure if it would do the trick. My fingers played across the removable snaps on my leather bracelet as I quickly considered each. Only one type might be of use, but it wouldn't be enough to extinguish the conflagration that had taken the man. None of my other items would help either.

No. One would help, if I could manage to get ahold of the vampire.

As Carlo's body continued to burn, his strength finally started to fade. He collapsed to his knees, and the other vampires stood by, desperately wishing there was something they could do.

I pushed past them and reached for Carlo as he started to collapse. The others shouted a warning, but I quickly seized the man under his arms, even as the white flames erupting from his body spread across my jacket and skin.

The jacket would hold up. Although it looked store-bought, it was actually made from dragon skin. I'd played my role in the Balaur's death, and a friend had given me a portion of it's hide in gratitude for my part. The hide had then been passed on by an acquaintance to an armorer working for Monoc Securities, who worked it into the final product. The Balaur leather was more durable than body armor, and was as fire resistant as the fire breathing dragon had been.

As for me, I counted on the bone-white ring on my right middle finger to keep me safe. The ring was a gift from the Greek Lampad I called my girlfriend. It was made from the odd material of her Lampad's torch, a mystical object filled with incredible power.

Whenever flames tried to touch upon my flesh, purple fire blossomed. The lavender light would lick harmlessly at my skin, warding off the oranges and yellows. Fighting fire with fire, the ring kept the danger at bay.

As I grabbed for the vampire, the ring and leathers did their job. I could feel the heat that did not burn as I turned, dragging the vampire down the hallway. Fire rolled across most of my upper body, enveloping me in white and amethyst flames. My vision tinted as the purple fires washed over my face, protecting me from the heat and ash emanating from what remained of Carlo.

While it felt like forever, It was a short trip down the hallway, and his body began to fall apart as the fire burned him from the inside out. He'd gone slack as we went, the curse finally taking its toll and releasing him from his torment. I kept going, leaving pieces of burning flesh behind me. And when we finally reached the end, I flung him through the window at the end of the hall.

The glass shattered beneath his flaming weight, and he fell down into the alley like a comet streaking fire in its wake. When he hit the pavement, his body burst apart, flaring in the night. Fire curled up, swirling in the light wind as the last of the vampire was consumed.

I watched from above, as the mystical power of life cruelly burned in the remains of the dead, until there was nothing left but ash.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Purple flames still danced across my skin as Natalia appeared at the window beside me. I turned, seeing the pain of loss flicker across her face briefly, before she turned back, any trace of emotion gone.

"Schaeffer, see to him," she said, her voice not revealing the grief she felt. I wasn't sure if she and Carlo had been close, but family was family. It hadn't been easy for me to watch the poor man burn; add to that the possibility that Natalia herself might likewise burn if we failed, and I could only try to imagine what she was feeling.

The blond haired man left, accompanied by Dillon. Cooper and Just Eliot remained with us as I noticed the hallway filling with residents. Several had noted the fire, and were returning with fire extinguishers. A panic was filling the air as residents considered fleeing.

"Please, everyone remain calm," Natalia said soothingly. Her large form strode down the hallway, her hands out and making a placating motion to the residents. They turned to watch her, their eyes glazing over as she went.

I could feel some sort of power rolling off of her, catching only the tail end of it. It made me want to kneel down and obey the woman's commands. It made me want to do whatever it took to please her.

I shook myself, shivers running up and down my body as I recognized the vampire's power for what it was. A manipulation of my emotions, overriding my free will with her own. Perhaps not an outright compulsion against my will; perhaps it was only stoking that which already existed within me. But it felt like a violation, and I didn't like it. Her casual display of such power set my teeth on edge.

And it wasn't just me that felt it. The residents on the hall all stopped their clamor and obeyed the woman. Between her and the quasi-uniformed Cooper and Eliot, the residents all retreated back into their apartments, to allow the 'authorities' to work. Part of me was disgusted by it; another part recognized it as necessary.

A noise drew my attention, and I saw two people appear at the stairwell door. They were dressed in civilian clothes, but carried themselves with an inbred authority.

"What is going on—" one began, but I cut him off, approaching before the vampire could make her way back down the hall.

"Everything's fine here," I said aloud, hoping the two men listened. The taller one glanced my way, a slight frown indicating he didn't quite agree. I patted the air in front of them. "It's fine. Really." When I grew close enough, I turned, keeping my back to the others further down the hall.

"Hayes," the tall one said beneath his breath in a warning tone. His dark eyes glance back down the hallway at the others, taking in the fire damage on the floor and walls.

"Rawlins," I said in a matching tone. "We've got this."

The large, blocky form of Officer Henry Rawlins turned back to me, his lack of faith disturbing. "It doesn't look like you're in control."

"We're fine," I insisted, glancing back down the hallway. "Some of the residents probably called emergency services. Can you guys handle them when they arrive?"

Rawlins looked down on me, weighing the situation, before giving a brief nod. The second man made to argue, but Rawlins sent him away with a look. As the man disappeared back into the stairwell, Rawlins swiveled his gaze back around. "Explain."

The cop usually had a pretty relaxed attitude; his intensity surprised me. He was normally the type to roll with the punches. I guess me trying to order him about while civilians were in danger was crossing the line.

"I didn't want you pushing the issue with them," I said softly, nodding backward. "The women are vampires."

The man's eyes widened as he reappraised the situation. "What kind?"

"White Court," I said, unsurprised that Rawlins knew there were different types of vampires. He was a member of Special Investigations, and reported to Lieutenant Stallings. "I take it Stallings put you on me?"

"We followed you from the Argent building," he confirmed. "Wasn't easy keeping up with you guys tearing across the city."

"Sorry," I said, glancing back to make sure the vampires weren't paying attention. Natalia and Cooper had disappeared, most likely heading downstairs to cut off the first responders. That left Anya and Eliot in the hall, both of whom were making sure those still trying to emerge from their rooms stayed put. "Time was of the essence. It still is. We can't afford to waste it giving statements."

"I heard," Rawlins said, his voice drawling with subtle irony. "But you can't stop C.F.D. from checking this out."

"We won't," I assured him. "We just need a little time."

Rawlins glanced back down the hallway, and finally nodded. "Alright. I'll do what I can."

"Thanks," I said, sighing in relief. "And can you update Stallings and Robbins?" He nodded again. "And stay with me when we leave. We may be heading toward the attackers, and these guys are armed for battle. I think they're going to try and handle this without the police."

"Like hell," the cop said, his low voice growling. The man nodded to me one last time, and then headed back down the stairwell to help his partner coordinate with the responders.

I turned back to the hallway, and started for Olivia's apartment. But what I saw froze me in my tracks.

While I'd been busy with Rawlins, Olivia finally emerged, looking to see what was happening. She was wearing only the bath robe, which left little to the imagination. When I spotted her, she was pressed up against the wall, and Anya was French kissing her as she ran her pale tattooed hand under Olivia's open robe.

I was down the hall in a flash, my eyes on my friend. Her eyes were glazed over, a whimper escaping her lips that was somewhere between fearful and lustful. I saw the punky vampire cup Olivia's rear in her hand and pull her against her, pressing their bodies tight together.

The vampire froze when the barrel of my Beretta pressed against her temple.

"Stop," I whispered softly, my voice cold like steel.

Anya broke the kiss, pulling her face away from Olivia's very slowly. My gun stayed with her. "You dare?" she hissed, her silver eyes turning toward me even as she kept her head still.

"You bet your ass," I said harshly. I did my best to ignore the sound of Eliot cocking his Glock, which was trained on me. The man's dark face was stony, obviously willing to do what was necessary to protect his charge. But he couldn't risk firing without me getting off a shot.

"Back away from my friend," I continued, keeping my eyes on the punky vampire. She was beautiful, but I wasn't about to let that stop me from protecting Olivia. "She's the one we came to see. She's the only hope you have of finding the person attacking your family."

A slight frown creased Anya's forehead, as if she were slightly confused. She looked back to the girl, and her eyes widened in recognition.

"I'm sorry," she said, her demeanor suddenly changing. She backed away from Olivia, and I tracked her progress with my gun. She shook her head softly, as if only coming back to her senses. "I didn't… I was injured, and needed to heal. And when I saw her..."

The words weren't what convinced me. They could have been simply excuses. But the vampire's tone was genuine, and I saw her blush in embarrassment. I slowly lowered the gun, and nodded to her in understanding.

I had to admit, my friend is beautiful. Olivia and I had gone out on a couple of casual dates after we'd first met, but my budding relationship with Violet had curtailed any progress on that front. I could understand being attracted to the girl all too well.

"Do you mind?" I asked softly, turning to Eliot. The man's gun was still trained on me, and he hadn't made moved.

"Eliot," Anya said, turning slightly to the guard. "Let it be."

The man didn't hesitate to obey. His gun was quickly holstered at his thigh, and he nodded sharply to me. As if saying, 'no hard feelings, just doing the job'.

I nodded back, only slightly unnerved by how close I'd been to getting shot. But I pushed my worries aside and moved to Olivia, who was still in a daze.

"We're going to see if we can do this," I said to the others as I closed Olivia's robe and tied it shut. "You two help keep things calm until we can get out of here."

* * *

Before either could respond, I ushered Olivia back into her apartment, and closed the door behind us.

I clicked the lock on the door as I let out a shaky sigh. Taking a second, I leaned against the door, and holstered the weapon.

"Are you ok—" I started. But as I turned back, Olivia leapt at me.

I had just enough time to see the glint of something pale on her lips before they crashed into mine. My mouth opened in shock, and her tongue flickered against mine, wet and hot and desperate. There was a flavor on her lips, and it…

It…

It was incredible.

My mind went blank with raw need.

My hands grabbed her as she clung to me, her lithe legs wrapping around my waist. I snaked one arm beneath her robe and around her back, pulling her tight against me as she moaned into my mouth. Her hands moved across my body, one entangling in my hair while the other draped across my back.

I moved, pushing her against the wall, as a need for her overwhelmed me. I pressed myself against her, and she writhed in a pleasing fashion, slowly churning her hips against mine. With her weight pinned against the wall, it freed my other hand to grope at her chest, taking one silky smooth breast into my palm.

I worked the nipple, eliciting another breathy moan from her as she released my hair and snaked her hand down between us. I felt her grab me through my leather jeans, squeezing me. Her fingers fumbled for my belt, pulling it loose and moving to the zipper.

My head was feverish, so intense was my desire. I kissed away from her mouth, licking and sucking along her jaw and down her neck as she freed me from the confines of my pants. Her head tilted to the side and she bit at my ear, drawing my earlobe down. We shifted, growing closer as our lust overwhelmed us.

And then a burning hot sensation in my right hand caused me to cry out. I gasped in agony as the bone-white ring on my middle finger seemed to set my hand on fire. I staggered backward as another pulse of fiery pain rippled out from the ring. As I retreated, Olivia sank to the floor with a thud. Her eyes were glazed over, a wanton look pleading for me to come back to her. But my veins burned with hot misery, and I retreated further, backing away toward the living room.

One second, it felt like I might lose the finger; the next, the pain was gone, and its absence was nearly orgasmic as my body pulsed with relief. I looked to my hand, and shifted the ring, but there was no trace of burn or injury.

I knew from experience that Violet could repair damage done by her power. I'd been hurt by her torch before we'd even met, but after she'd seen the scars, she'd healed them, leaving not a trace of the bad burns I'd received.

What I hadn't known was that she could hurt me through the ring she'd given me. It seemed that the same ring that protected me from fire could also hurt me with it, should the Lampad desire.

Which was terrifying. Especially considering what I'd been doing. Along with the fact that she'd _known_.

Before I could worry about the implications of that, my focus returned to Olivia, who was rising to approach me. She shed her robe as she approached, her eyes low and seductive as her hips swayed back and forth. Those dancer's legs, so strong, so firm—

Another pulse of heat burned my hand, helping clear my head. I backed away, feeling a tingle on my lips. I rubbed at them, and saw a clear liquid on my finger.

"Olivia, stop," I said, my voice growing more panicked. I bumped into the side of her couch, running out of space to retreat, and she approached me, her chest heaving as she stared at my crotch.

"Wait," I said, quickly tucking myself away. Once I was decent, I held a hand out to halt her approach. My right palm pressed against her chest, holding her at bay while I tried to zip up.

As soon as my hand touched her, a flare of purple light appeared, blinding me for an instant.

I felt her pull back as I blinked the violet light from my vision. When I could see again, I saw Olivia standing several feet away, a confused look on her face. She held a hand to her chest, her eyes blinking clear and focusing on me.

"Woody?" she asked, her voice trembling. She glanced down, and seemed startled to find she was naked. She quickly covered herself with her hands, and I averted my gaze.

But not before I saw the slight burn mark on her chest from where the bone-white ring had touched her.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly.

Rather than replying, the girl grabbed her robe and ran for her bedroom. I heard the door slam shut behind her, and I sank to the floor, cradling my head in my hands as my heart thundered in lust and fear.

* * *

Twenty minutes passed.

I heard Olivia moving about in her room. After a while, the shower started, and a couple minutes later, it stopped again. I remained in the living room, my pulse quick from nervous energy. I wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't leave; not without speaking to Olivia. Not without repairing whatever damage I might have done to our relationship.

Twenty minutes passed, and they were some of the longest of my life.

I knew the clock was ticking. I knew there was only so much time before the next vampire went up like a bonfire. If I didn't make progress, the vampires might decide I was useless, and make a meal out of me. But I couldn't do anything without Olivia. I had neither the supplies nor the talent to try the spell myself.

As the minutes ticked by, I tried to regain my senses. The vampire blood that had passed from Anya to Olivia, and then on to me, had completely overwhelmed me. I'd lost control, as had she, and only the ring had prevented us from making a mistake.

I thought of Violet, the Lampad that had given me the ring. The beautiful, amaranthine eyed Handmaiden of Hecate that lent me a portion of her power to protect me from fire and flame. A woman who had lived countless years, and who I had grown closer to over the last several.

Our relationship was hard to describe. We were lovers, to be sure. I'm not sure I could call us anything more than that. We'd been on dates, but the entire concept seemed to amuse her.

My understanding was that Lampads were escorts to Hecate, an old world goddess of legend. They were nymphs that had lighted the way for the goddess on her travels in the underworld. Some legends tied them to shepherding the souls of the dead to Hades, while others said they were servants of Zeus. But despite my efforts to find out more about her, I'd found nothing. I didn't even know if the gods of legend had been real, or if she had ever served them.

I didn't even know her real name. Violet was a nickname I'd given her based on the shade of her torch. It burned with a purple light, and was seemingly the source of her power. She'd gone centuries without it, and only after I had returned the bone-white lantern had she been restored to her youthful state.

I had never seen her in the light of day, and she came and went from my life with no consistency. Was she my girlfriend? My lover only, or even my wife, as Qilluhrang had joked upon first seeing the ring? I couldn't get a straight answer from her. At times it seemed like a game to her, but at others, she seemed almost desperate to tell me, but unable to do so.

And now, as the power of the White Court pulsed through me, her ring had acted. Was it a possessive reaction? A helpful one intended to clear my head like it had, or a jealous one to warn me from straying?

And what would happen if I disappointed her? What would have happened to me, or Olivia, if the ring had not stopped us, and the Lampad were offended by our weak wills?

Twenty minutes long minutes passed, as I worried about two of the most important relationships in my life, until the door to Olivia's bedroom finally opened.

"Woody?" she called, her voice entirely too calm. I stood up from the couch, my pulse quick and thready as I dreaded what she was about to say.

"Yes. I'm here. I'm fine, how are you?" I babbled quickly. She appeared in the door, once more in her robe, but didn't meet my eyes.

"It's not working," she said.

It took me a minute to realize what she was talking about.

"The spell?" I asked, dumbfounded. "You tried the spell?"

She nodded demurely, and eventually her eyes lifted to mine. "I'm sorry. It's close, I feel like it's almost there, but it's not enough."

"Okay," I said, trying to still my heart. That had been my only hope of placating the vampires. There were other tracking spells we'd learned, but they all required something from the caster. "What do we do?"

She hesitated a moment. "Well, you said these samples were from the four who died earlier, right?"

"Right, that's correct," I confirmed a little too quickly, a little too desperate to agree to anything and everything she said, if it would help the situation.

"Do you think…" she said slowly. "Do you think you could get another?"

"Another?" I asked, slow on the pickup. "Another set of samples?"

"Just one," she replied.

I couldn't hide my confusion. "Which one?"

She smiled, an embarrassed blush coming to her cheeks. "The fifth one?"

"The fifth…" I said, before finally catching on. "Oh!"

I started for the door, and Olivia hastily disappeared behind her own.

When I opened the hallway door, I found Natalia waiting with Schaeffer. Firemen moved further down the hallway, and I saw Rawlins with them, keeping an eye on the vampire and her guard. Natalia had been eying them as well, but turned at my appearance. "Is it done?" she asked.

"No," I replied, feeling awkward. "We're going to need another sample."

"Another—" she started, but then her eyes widened as she picked things up faster than I had. Her face grew cold and passionless as she turned to the guard with her. "Schaeffer, call down and have the others bring back a portion of Carlo."

Schaeffer twisted aside and spoke into a handset while Natalia slowly stepped toward me. Her slate eyes shimmered with flecks of silver as she whispered softly.

"Do you believe it will work?" she asked, her appearance stoic but a sliver of hope creeping into her voice.

"We think it might," I told her, not wanting to raise fall hope, but not wanting her to give up on us. There was a hungry glint to her eyes, and I was beginning to dread the moment we outlived our usefulness.

Then again, if we failed, she might not be around to do anything to me.

* * *

Schaeffer arrived a minute later with the sample, a fresh piece of charcoaled Carlo in a baggie. I took it inside, and gave it to Olivia, who quickly closed the door.

Ten minutes later, it opened again, and she stepped out wearing tight leggings and a loose knit sweater. In her hands was a vial on a string. The string didn't hang down quite straight; instead, the vial tilted in one direction, and I could see the ashes inside pressed against one side of the glass tube.

"It seems to be working," she said as she passed me the string. I looked at it, and turned it back and forth. However I held it, it leaned in the same direction.

"Unbelievable," I said, a sense of relief washing over me.

"I think the fifth one did it," she said lightly as she headed toward the kitchen, where she pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge. "The vial should be tracking the person that cast all five spells. The remnants from each weren't enough to work with, but combined… well, you know."

She popped the cork on the bottle and took a swig. I blinked in surprise, and she blushed again.

"You're amazing," I told her, looking back to the vial. "I don't know how you managed."

"Well, it wasn't easy," she said with a breath. "I just had to finish myself off so I could concentrate."

I froze, as did she, as we realized we weren't talking about the same thing.

"Um…" she said, as her blush turned crimson.

"Right," I said, trying to ignore the comment. "I guess I better get going. We've got a sorcerer to find." I gathered up my things, and stopped in the kitchen to kiss her on the cheek before leaving.

"Woody," she said as I headed for the door. I turned back, and saw a concerned look on her face. "Be careful. They look human, but they're not. That should be evident by now."

"I'm realizing that," I assured her.

I closed the door after me, and heard the lock sound a second later. In the hallway, Schaeffer and Natalia were waiting, a blank look on his face and a triumphant glimmer on hers.

"Let's go," I said, holding up the vial.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Natalia and Schaeffer ushered me down the hallway toward the stairwell at the other end. I glanced back, and saw that Rawlins was watching our departure. He turned back to the people inspecting the hallway as I entered the stairwell, and I hoped he was breaking free of those duties so that he could follow us.

We descended the stairs quickly. We'd lost a lot of time while Olivia worked the spell, and we had less than half an hour until the next attack was due. Natalia seemed ready to pick me up and carry me to get me moving faster. When we reached the ground floor, they steered me toward the emergency door at the rear rather than heading back toward the front entrance.

Outside in the side alley, I found the black Suburbans waiting. Natalia pushed me into the open door.

"I'll be making calls for backup. Can you ride with Anya without pulling a weapon on her?" Natalia asked.

I glanced at the punky vampire beside me, who was staring out the far window. "As long as she doesn't try anything," I replied, my body tensing at the idea of sharing such an enclosed space with a monster that had almost lost control only a few minutes earlier.

"Thank you," the warrior woman said, nodding slightly. She slammed the heavy door shut, and made for the other vehicle. I handed the vial up to Schaeffer so that he could navigate for Dillon. Once both vehicles were ready, the two took off, speeding toward the other end, away from the street where the police and fire trucks were positioned in front of the apartment building.

Which meant even if Rawlins made it downstairs, he wouldn't know where we were heading.

I pulled my cell phone out, and searched through the contacts for Robbins' number. It was an older flip phone, as I had a hard time keeping the newer smart-phones in working condition. While I couldn't do much magic on my own, the tools I had channeled magic through me. That was enough to cause mechanical devices to fail around me, and the phones were always the first to go.

I found Robbins' number, and was just hitting send, when Anya took the phone from my grasp and crushed it in her hand.

"What the fuck?!" I shouted, staring at her in disbelief.

"Natalia said to leave the police out," Anya explained, her tone unapologetic. "They can't deal with this."

"You'd be surprised what they can deal with," I shot back, my temper flaring. "We had a deal. I work with you guys, and I get to keep my people in the loop."

"You don't understand," the punky vampire said, turning away.

"Like hell," I said, and suddenly lurched forward to grab the vial that Schaeffer was holding in the front.

"What are—" Anya began, but froze when she saw my hand around the thin glass tube. Schaeffer had frozen as well, blinking in surprise. Dillon was the only one moving, and that was mostly to look back and forth between the road and the vial. He'd been driving in the direction it had been pointing, but couldn't know where to go without it.

"Give me a phone," I ordered.

"Don't," Anya countered, warning Schaeffer. I don't think he needed the instruction; he hadn't moved to comply with my demand. Or maybe she was trying to prevent him doing something drastic.

"If you don't, this ends now," I growled, pulling slightly at the vial. Schaeffer's free hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. With his strength, he probably could have broken my arm, but he couldn't risk anything happening to the glass.

"Please," Anya pleaded, her eyes going wide as she stared at my hand.

"No. We had a deal," I reminded her. "If you're not going to keep up your end, I'm not keeping mine."

"If you destroy that, you'll be killing us," Anya whispered, turning her large eyes to me. "That's the only hope we have."

"So be it," I said, even as my temper began to cool.

"My name is on the list," Anya said softly, her body trembling. "If we don't find them, I may be next."

I scowled at the vampire that wasn't acting anything like a vampire. I'd seen her feeding on Olivia, so I knew what she was. I'd felt the pull of her power. Even the burns she'd received when touching Carlo had healed over without a trace. So there was no doubt about what I was dealing with.

But she was also human. And in that moment, she was a frightened girl that looked only a few years younger than me, facing a horrible death at the hands of an unknown assailant. In less than twenty minutes, she could die as suddenly and painfully as Carlo had. She wasn't faking. She was truly terrified of dying.

If I destroyed the vial, that might just happen. Which would make me as responsible as the person casting the spell.

I released the vial, disgusted with myself. For threatening the girl with her life, and for giving in to the vampire. The glass spun on the string for a moment, until settling to tilt onward. Dillon and Schaeffer both gave a sigh of relief, with the latter shooting me a dirty look over his shoulder as he released my arm.

"Can I please have a phone?" I asked, trying to calm my voice.

The punky vampire just shook her head. "I'm sorry. Lara said the police couldn't know."

I wasn't sure who Lara was, but I could guess. Only one woman seemed to be in charge of this entire affair. "Why not?"

"Because those that are threatening us may have people on the police force," Anya explained, trying to calm her own nerves after my threat. "It's a fairly standard arrangement."

"Not in Special Investigations," I insisted. "Stallings keeps a tight ship."

"I'm sure he's the next best thing to Eliot Ness and his Untouchables," Anya said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm not even involved much in that end of things, but even _I_ _'_ _ve_ heard that one of their detectives is on the mob's payroll. And there are rumors that some on the force, and even Internal Affairs, are working with—"

The vampire cut herself off, realizing she was going to say too much.

"Who?" I asked, twisting around to look at the girl. "Who is it we're dealing with? Who has that much pull?"

Anya refused to answer. She just shook her head again. "I've said too much."

I sat back, fuming.

Clearly the vampires knew more about their attackers than they were letting on. And if the perpetrators were that powerful, to have police on their payroll, then things were worse than I'd realized.

I quickly ran through the likely candidates. There was always Gentleman John Marcone. He controlled Chicago in a way that Al Capone had only ever dreamed of. He had pull in City Hall, and there were tons of rumors about his involvement with the police. Detective Sergeant Karrin Murphy, who I'd worked with more than once, tended to grumble whenever those rumors came up.

Could that be who was attacking the White Court? I'd heard that Marcone had established himself in the supernatural world in some way. He'd been working with a representative of Monoc Securities for years. I'd met Sigrun Gard, and she'd never denied working for the gangster. Maybe he was making a play for more power, and was trying to get a leg up on the White Court in Chicago.

Or could it be someone else? While Chicago was supposedly Marcone's territory now, there were other powers present. Monoc Securities had some pull in the area, and a swartalf acquaintance of mine had said something about his people having a place in town as well. Who knew how many other smaller players were on the scene in Chicago; any of them could be making a move for more power.

"What is all of this about?" I asked, shaking my head with frustration.

"They're making a point," the vampire girl explained softly. "Those closest to Lara are being killed off. They're making her anticipate each loss. And even if we _do_ manage to stop them, she'll have lost loved ones tonight." She turned, and saw my surprise. "We do _feel_ something, you know," she shot bitterly, turning away again.

"I'm sorry," I said, actually meaning it. "It just doesn't make any sense for all this effort to attack one person."

"There's more to it than that," Anya said after moment. "This is all about influence; about manipulating Lara into doing what they want. If she doesn't, we'll all die. If she does, then she'll be nothing more than a cat's paw for them. And even if we survive, there will be fallout from tonight."

"What do you mean?" I asked, glad I was finally getting some answers. I wasn't sure if the girl was supposed to be sharing this much, but I'd take what I could get.

"Others will hear about what happened," Anya explained. "They'll see that someone got close enough to Lara to kill her closest confidants. And someone will think that presents an opening. Maybe a rival. Maybe someone looking to gain power within the Court." The girl sighed. "Maybe even my father."

"Your father?"

"He's in charge out in New York," she said. "That's where I'm from."

"But if your father is a potential rival to Lara, why are you with her?" I asked.

" _Everyone_ is a potential rival in the White Court," Anya said with a wry amusement. "Lara's sisters seem particularly loyal, but even they could turn on her. My father isn't the most influential, but others would flock to him if they sensed weakness in the leadership of the Court."

"Then why are you here?" When she looked to me, I explained. "I mean, if the situation between them is that bad, wouldn't Lara suspect you of treachery?"

"Father sent me to learn under Lara," she said. "A mutually beneficial agreement. He gets someone close to her, and she gets a hostage against my father's good behavior."

"Hostage?" I said, surprised.

The girl snorted prettily, her smoky eyes rolling. "Protégée. Hostage. Whatever you call it, I'm supposed to be an assurance of my father's fealty to the King."

"That sounds… unpleasant," I said. I'd heard of such things happening back in feudal times; it seemed the White Court of Vampires really was old fashioned.

"It's not so bad," Anya said with a shrug. "I like Elisa; she's the best of those in Chicago. And even Lara has her moments. Rather than treating me like a hostage, they've taken me in. Maybe it's just them manipulating me, but it's better than the treatment I got back at home."

"Not on good terms with your father?" I asked, trying to keep a familiar pain out of my voice.

"You could say that," she said, any trace of humor fleeing quickly. "I was a disappointment to him even before he sent me away. This was supposed to be my chance at gaining his favor, but Empty Night will fall before I do anything for him."

I wasn't sure what that meant, but I could relate to the feeling. My father and I were on the best terms we'd ever been, but it was still hard. Old wounds took a lot of time to heal, especially when they involved family. Those seemed to cut the deepest.

"She'll never do it," Anya said with a sad confidence. "Even if it means her death. She won't let them use her. If she did, it'd be just as bad as burning alive. Those like my father will see this as a sign of weakness. They'll grow bold, and they'll make moves against her."

"Her?" I asked. "Or the White King?"

The girl eyed me, her lids low. "The King, of course."

We rode in silence for a minute, as Schaeffer directed us into an expensive area near the lake.

"I'm sorry about your friend," Anya said suddenly, surprising me.

"What? You mean Olivia?"

"Yes," she confirmed, seeming to blush slightly in the car. "I was out of touch earlier in the evening, and only learned about everything happening just before joining you all. Before that, I was…" She trailed off, sparing me a glance. "I was partaking."

"Ah," I said, feeling a chill in the still air of the vehicle.

"It's hard to control…" she said, for some reason making an effort to explain.

"Okay," I said, not wanting to get into it. I felt bad about holding a gun to her head, but I'd do it again if she endangered a friend. Or myself, for that matter.

When I failed to say anything more, she gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "Never-mind," she said, her tone growing frustrated.

"What?" I asked, frowning at her. "Am I just supposed to accept that you almost killed my friend on accident, and let that go? Let bygones by bygones?"

"I wouldn't have killed her," Anya argued, turning back to me. Her eyes were pearlescent as her temper grew. "We don't kill everyone we feed from."

"No, just when you can't help yourself," I said sharply. "Like with Olivia."

Anya flinched as if I had slapped her. She looked away again, and I wondered if I was an asshole for antagonizing the poor vampire. The lights outside reflected off the silver tattoo on the side of her face, flashing brilliantly for a moment before growing dull again. I found myself studying her profile. She really was beautiful, even if it was a beauty made to kill.

"You have no idea what it's like," she said bitterly.

"No, I don't," I replied. "I don't know how you can go around sucking the life out of people."

"You think I chose to be like this?" she asked hotly.

"I don't know anything about you all," I admitted.

"That's abundantly clear," she retorted, mimicking my tone from before.

After that, we continued on, no-one saying anything. It was only a few minutes until Dillon finally brought the vehicle to a stop. I looked up, and saw the vial pointing across the street.

"We've circled," Dillon said, turning back to Schaeffer and the vial with a frown. "It's definitely pointing here."

Looking across the way, I could see why Dillon was confused.

The area we were in consisted of massive houses and mansions, all spaced well apart from one another. Some were easily an acre, while a few were even larger. The lot we were parked across from was enclosed in a high wall and iron gate. Signs had been placed evenly across both warning trespassers away.

But the ground itself was barren of any building or structure.

"How could they be here?" Anya asked.

"Are you sure this thing worked?" Schaeffer asked, turning back to me.

"I think so." Although I was beginning to worry.

I looked around to the second vehicle, and saw that Natalia had disembarked. I opened my door and climbed out, with the others following suit. I approached the well-muscled vampire as she studied the lot with a grim smile.

"Of course," she spat, shaking her head. "We should have guessed."

I saw Cooper climb out of the back seat, which surprised me. It appeared that Eliot had driven the second vehicle, and I wondered at it briefly, until I saw the disheveled state that the cowboy was in.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he and the succubi had been up to.

"What is this place?" Anya asked as she stood beside me.

"It used to be their headquarters in Chicago." She turned to Eliot, who was standing by the driver's door. "Notify the other teams. Someone will need to follow up should we fail."

"Are we waiting for them?" Schaeffer asked as he opened the trunk of the Suburban.

"No," Natalia said with a shake of her head. "If they're not here, we can't afford to give up on the other searches."

"Where would they be, though?" I asked with a frown. "Not that I'm doubting our spell, but there's nothing out there."

"Not anymore," Natalia said softly. "Not once _he_ was done with them."

My head grew a little dizzy as I processed her words. I turned to look back at the empty lot, as years of rumors and gossip flitted about my head. Pieces started falling into place as I thought about what Anya had said about the group targeting them. A group with enough resources that they could buy off public officials. A group bold enough to take on the leaders of the White Court. A group that sought to gain something from manipulating them.

Of all the possible factions, there was one I hadn't really considered. One that hadn't been a player in the Chicago scene in years. One that had the money, power, and hubris to try to make cat's paws out of the White Court.

"What is this place?" I whispered, fearing that I already knew.

"This is the old Velvet Room," Natalia said. "This is where the Reds ran their Chicago operations."

"The Reds," I repeated, as my knees went weak. "You mean the Red Court of Vampires."

Natalia walked away, heading to the back of her vehicle. I was left standing there as my world collapsed down around me. I turned, and saw Schaeffer and Dillon removing things from the vehicle, preparing for battle. When he saw me looking, he nodded softly.

"That's who contacted them. That's who's killing them." He opened one of the crates in the back of our vehicle, and I saw the arsenal waiting. He glanced back to me.

"Better get ready."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I stood there, stunned to my core, as the others prepared for battle.

The four mortal guards quickly armed themselves with a plethora of weapons and equipment. Each replaced their tactical vest with one sporting Kevlar, and added a helmet with night vision goggles, combat knives, and harnesses for the rest. The magazines for the Glocks were replaced with single barrel drums that held fifty rounds each. The standard 9mm mags were slid into slots on the vest, along with extra AR15 magazines. The assault rifles themselves were next, straps on their grips being clipped to each vest. I saw that the magazine of each was a dual drum carrying 100 rounds.

In addition to those, Cooper and Just Eliot had additional hardware. Cooper sported a Saiga 12 shotgun with a 30 round drum, with a second drum attached to his vest. The behemoth named Eliot slung a backpack onto his back, and it took me a minute to realize it was an ammo case for his short barreled Gatling mini-gun. The spinning barrel was only two feet in length, and the mountain of a man wielded it as if it were nothing more than a rifle.

As they prepared themselves, I watched the vampires get ready. Anya retrieved a more conventional leather jacket from a bag, one that was a little better suited for combat. It was still stark white, but the form fitting leather would be better than the loose silver jacket she'd worn earlier.

Glocks were strapped into holsters on each thigh, only instead of the 50 round drum the guards carried, she and Natalia both sported 100 round dual drums. They also stashed knives here and there, and then pulled out their blades.

Natalia hefted an axe from the rear of the vehicle, its blade concave rather than the traditional convex. It was a massive weapon, but she spun it with alarming speed before strapping it into a sling on her belt. A long curving knife was sheathed on her other hip.

Anya sported a more traditional pair of short swords, their one-sided blades straight until tapering at the end. They still weren't something off the rack, though, as I saw that the cross guard was customized. The edge of the blade extended down over grip, curving around toward the hilt. If she struck someone with the guard, it'd be just as lethal as the main blade itself.

The back side of the cross guard extended out into a handle. As she twisted the weapons in her hands, I realized that she could wield them as either swords or batons, with the blades running parallel with her forearm.

As they finished getting ready, Schaeffer glanced at me. "Do you want anything?" he asked, seeming worried about my lack of equipment.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking between him and the others. "I'm not going over there."

Natalia spun toward me, a fierce glower turning her slate eyes into steel. "You will use the tracking spell and lead us to the sorcerer."

"Like hell," I said, taking a step back. "I was hired to find them. If they're over there, then my job is done. I didn't agree to fight against the Red Court."

"You agreed to help us find them, and _stop them_ ," Natalia hissed. "You will see this through, and confirm what we find."

"But I told you, I'm not a wizard," I protested. "Unless they've labeled everything conveniently, I'm not going to know what the hell they're doing."

"You will lead us _now_ ," Natalia insisted, her hand sliding to the knife grip on her hip. "Or you will be of no further use."

I stared at her, stunned by the blatant threat. But a look at the others confirmed I'd have no allies among them. The guards were loyal to the vampires, and they'd gun me down before I'd made it two steps. It seemed I had little choice in the matter.

"Fuck," I hissed, stepping toward the back of the vehicle where my bag was. I shrugged off my jacket and removed my gun holster, so that I could put it on the outside of the leather. Once that was in place, I checked over what I had. The knives were still in my boots, and the two net bracelets and button snap bracelet were ready on my wrists.

I retrieved my half helmet and shaped mask from the bag and quickly donned those. They were followed by my leather gloves, made from the same dragon skin as the jacket and boots. I wished I'd known what I was getting into before I left the house, or I would have brought the matching leather pants. Last was the two foot length of steel that was my primary weapon. The handle of it was mostly a dark iron, save for a silver pattern that had been inset into the rest, and a round silver pommel on one end.

Once I had that, I removed my old glasses from my jacket's inner pocket, and slid them over my eyes. I turned back to the others, who were all looking at me like I was mad.

"Do you want—" Schaeffer began, but I cut him off.

"No," I snapped, my patience with all of them worn thin. "Let's get this over with."

I took up the compass vial he'd left in the trunk, and made my way across the street. The others hesitated for a moment, most likely writing me off as dead.

As far at they were concerned, I was walking into combat with a two foot metal pole, a 9mm pistol, and a glass vial. What threat would I pose to Red Court vampires?

I had the same question running through my head.

* * *

The heavy chain on the gate was sliced in half by Natalia's curving knife, and fell to the paved driveway with a clinking thud. With a careless shove, the vampire sent the gate flying open, and the group proceeded forward.

Whatever the place had been before, there was nothing left but a cracked driveway and an overgrown foundation. The vampires and the guards all searched about, looking for any sign of something out of place.

" _Calya_ ," I whispered as I touched a finger to my glasses. At the command word, the spellworked lenses grew brighter, providing me with my own version of night vision. It was one of a dozen spells Q had worked into the lenses and frames. When my vision had been fixed a couple years prior, he'd replaced the corrective lenses with simple glass. I tended to only wear them when I was in over my head, and it seemed that was certainly the case now.

The glasses helped illuminate the area, but it didn't reveal anything. The ground was uneven here and there, but no structure remained. A few square depressions marked where ground floor rooms had once stood, but there wasn't a standing wall in sight.

The vial led us to a solid stretch of turf, where it hung straight down.

"Where are they?" Natalia whispered, staring at the vial.

"How the fuck should I know?" I snapped back. Her silver eyes bore holes into mine, but at the moment I couldn't have cared less about what the vampire thought of me. "This is where the spell led us. Maybe it's not working right. Maybe they're somewhere else."

"The Never-never?" Anya asked softly.

I shrugged. Call it what you will, there was a world beyond the world we lived. Beyond that one, or maybe beside it, were dozens of other worlds. Word was that some were as tangible as the real world, while others were nothing but mists and fog. I'd never been there, so I had no clue what it was.

"No," Schaeffer said, taking the vial from me. He moved it back and forth, and we watched as it continued to point straight down. After a moment, it shifted, and started moving away. He followed it, until it came to a rest somewhere else. Then it shifted again, as if the target were moving.

"They're underground," he said, looking up. "There must be a basement still intact."

"Spread out," Natalia hissed. "Find the entrance."

We all moved in different directions, looking for anything that might lead us down below. I searched the turf, finding stone blocks and ruins from the old mansion, but nothing resembling a doorway or stairwell.

"I have to ask," Anya said softly at one point when we'd drifted close together. "Is that some sort of Sting reproduction?"

"What?" I asked, startled enough to forget how mad I was supposed to be. I glanced from the punky vampire girl to the rod in my hand. "You recognized that?"

"Duh," she said, a stunning smile catching me off guard as she rolled her eyes. "I kind of grew up on those movies."

"Yeah," I said, somewhat embarrassed. "The handle and pommel are based off of Sting. So is the blade."

"The blade?" she asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, it's… nevermind," I muttered. "If we find the sorcerer, you'll see soon enough."

"Okay," she said, her voice filled with mirth. "Your kind of cute for a _Lord of the Rings_ geek."

"You know, white isn't exactly stealthy," I snapped back, thinking the girl was making fun of me.

"It doesn't make much difference when what you're hunting can see in the dark," she replied with a smile.

And despite the terror running through me, my heart skipped a beat when she gyrated her hips, shaking her ass in front of me. It seemed she knew exactly what piece of white clothing I'd been observing to make my comment.

It was Eliot that whispered out into the night, and we all converged on his position. When I got there, I saw that a large stone slab lay across the ground. The big guy was on a knee beside it, and rapped against it with his meaty fist. A somewhat hollow thud echoed back, and Natalia's eyes grew brighter.

"Stand back," she ordered, and we all moved away as she knelt to crouch beside the slab. Her fingers curled under the edge, and with nothing more than a soft grunt, hurled the stone aside. The half ton slab crashed down on the turf, cracking in two upon impact.

I looked at the vampires, reevaluating my thoughts on their strength. And I was suddenly glad that Carlo hadn't been at full strength when he'd slapped me aside back at the apartment complex.

Beneath where the slab had lay was an open stairwell, leading down into a dark recessed tunnel.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," I said softly.

Unfortunately the others didn't get the reference, nor did they agree. Natalia simply looked to Eliot. "Call it in." After that, Natalia and Schaeffer quickly descended. The rest snapped down their night vision goggles and followed suit, as I stood with the behemoth as he radioed in that we were on to something. Once he received a reply, the big man descended the stairs, and I grumbled to myself as I followed after him. "Boring conversation anyway."

At the base of the stairs was a locked door that shattered under Natalia's boot. The group quickly flowed into the subterranean rooms, weapons drawn and ready. The door led to a hallway, with more doors running along either side all the way down. Some were locked; others weren't. It didn't matter either way, as each was knocked open and searched thoroughly before proceeding. We made our way down the hallway at a snails pace, with the vial pointing onward.

Things started getting complicated when the hallway reached an intersection. The group hovered in place, trying to decide whether we should fortify the position and continue searching the side rooms, or press on in the direction the vial led us.

"We should hold this," Schaeffer said softly in the intersection.

"We don't have enough personnel," Natalia countered. "We should take the sorcerer, and deal with anyone to our rear should they show themselves."

"I disagree—" Schaeffer began, but his words were cut short when a dozen piercing shrieks split the night.

The sound of them echoed in the halls, and we all spun about, searching the four directions. I was looking ahead, toward where the vial had been leading us, when my green tinted vision picked up movement in the shadows. I couldn't make them out in the darkness, but their movement was wrong. Wrong in a way that sent shivers down my spine.

"We've got bogies at twelve," Dillon muttered, looking down the same hallway that I was.

"Same at nine," Cooper whispered, and my eyes swiveled. The hallway to the left disappeared into darkness, but there was movement in those shadows as well.

"Three o'clock," Schaeffer said, not bothering to whisper. His gun was aimed down the hallway opposite of Cooper's, and I saw more shadows moving. "Pull back," he ordered.

I turned, but saw flickers between us and the open stairwell. "No good," I said. "They're behind us, too."

Natalia drew her knife, the narrow hallway not leaving enough room for her large axe. Her other hand bore one Glock with a hundred round magazine. Anya pulled both of her handguns, leaving the short swords for close combat. The others all released the safeties on their rifles.

"It's a trap," the warrior vampire hissed, rage lacing her voice.

"Oh, _now_ you want to quote the movies," I said, hiding my fear behind humor.

The screeches redoubled, and we all braced ourselves as a wave of black and blubbery forms descended down upon us.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Gunfire erupted as I got my first look at a Red Court vampire.

The night vision spell on my glasses did what it could to mute the flashes of Eliot's AR15 as he fired down the hallway we'd come from. I watched as the bullets tore through the dark and fleshy forms of the fully turned vampires.

Their bodies were humanoid, with two arms and two legs. The limbs were sickly thin, and both feet and hands were capped with sharp black nails. Their bodies were a mass of dark folds of skin, save for their bulging stomachs. As they stretched their arms out, I could see the thin membranous wings stretching from their arms to their sides.

I couldn't make out any more details. They were still a dozen yards away when Eliot's fire gunned them down. Controlled bursts took them in the bellies, and I saw gore spill to the floor as they tumbled over one another, desperately scrambling toward our position.

"Eliot, rotate!" Dillon called, and I saw the mountain of a man twist to his right, even as Dillon stepped back from his corner and turned to mine. When he was in position, Just Eliot saw the horde of bodies heading down the other tunnel, and quickly raised the mini-gun up and opened fire. The sound of the screaming vampires was drowned out by the quick staccato of the mini-gun. The brief gaps between controlled bursts were filled by the fire from the others.

Dillon was beside me, trying to keep the mass of vampires at bay, when a shadow loomed up from the doorway only five feet away.

The room had been cleared, but I had just enough time to recall that some of the rooms had been interlinked by side doors, before the vampire was leaping at me. They'd navigated their way around the majority of the hallway, and were suddenly on us before we knew what was happening.

The first fell on me as another aimed for Dillon. I lost sight of that one as the mass of black, slimy flesh knocked me to the ground. I got the flat end of my rod between us, and pushed it up against the vampire's jaw, keeping its gnashing mouth away from me.

Up close, I saw that it really was a face from a nightmare. It looked like a bat, with a flat nose with curling nostrils, beady black eyes, and wickedly sharp teeth. The rest of it wasn't any more attractive, with skin like leather and saggy flaps hanging here and there. All of the nasty flesh wriggled as it thrashed at me with its long curving claws. It was damp from the drizzle outside, and it reeked of rot and wet dog.

It screeched as it dropped its head toward my neck, but I pushed at it with the rod, keeping it at bay. The thing made to grab at the rod, but not before I barked the command word, " _Senna-eht_ _ë!_ "

The beast's scream cut short as a foot-long length of silver steel shot through its skull. Blood and ichor dripped from the wound as the body sagged against me, and I had to push with both arms to shove it aside. As soon as I was clear of it, I saw the other beast atop Dillon. I shoved my blade at its neck as I shouted a second magic spell.

" _Saiwa-nasta!_ _"_ At the command, power flowed through me and into the weapon, the spellworked steel doing the heavy lifting for me. I might not have much in the way of magical ability, but with the spear, I didn't have to. The power simply channeled into the spear, making the spearhead glow red-hot.

The stench of burning flesh joined the overpowering smell of gunpowder in the enclosed space. My swipe cut half of the vampire's neck off, and it sagged to one side as the gunman rose up.

Dillon fired down the hallway with his AR15, cutting down those that had gained ground during the interruption. I joined him, drawing my Beretta and emptying the magazine at the oncoming horde. More vampires fell, but it wasn't going to be enough.

"Down!" Cooper shouted, and I crouched to one side as he sidled over to our hallway. The Saiga 12 opened up, the blasts from the automatic shotgun shredding everything in front of it.

"Need some help over here!" Schaeffer shouted, and I turned to see how the others were faring.

Elliot still had one hallway pinned down with the mini-gun. A pile of bodies had formed, slowing the others down as they tried to crawl over and around it. The behemoth was taking shots at those that tried to get past, but was too busy to help Schaeffer.

Natalia and Anya were both firing down the hallway where the vial had been leading us, with a bladed weapon in their spare hands. Those vampires that got close enough were cut down, and I saw that both of the beautiful creatures were drenched in black blood, much too dark to be their own.

I turned to Schaeffer, and saw that he was holding the fourth hallway on his own, with only his Glocks. The AR15 had run dry, its hundred round payload spent on the mass of bodies before it. He hadn't had time to reload, so he'd fallen back on the pistols. Each had another fifty rounds, but those would only last so long, and there seemed to be a never-ending supply of the Red Court vampires.

Twisting around, I scrambled to my feet and quickly holstered my gun. I held my spear in my right hand as my left flicked toward my wrist. Tearing one of the snap button heads from my new bracelet, I glanced to confirm I had the right one.

"Down!" I shouted to Schaeffer, who dropped to a crouch automatically. My hand whipped out over his head as I shouted the command word for the spell worked into the snap. " _Lith-luth!_ "

The brown crystal embedded on the small metal head seemed to glint in the low light of my glasses as it flew toward the ceiling. I'd aimed a dozen yards down, and as the snap hit the ceiling, the spell activated. Earth magic flowed outward from the crystal where it'd been imprisoned, turning any earth it touched into particles as fine as sand.

The affected area wasn't that large. The spell was designed to be used on flat ground, to trap an opponent within a narrow but deep pit of quicksand. The magic atomized the earth, and anyone who stepped upon it found themselves neck deep in a matter of seconds.

As I'd thrown the snap against the ceiling, it didn't cause any vampires to sink into the earth. What it _did_ do was weaken the structural integrity of the tunnel overhead, and a metric ton of dirt and earth collapsed into the hallway. The hole spread beyond where my spell had hit, collapsing a good portion of the tunnel. The vampires underneath were crushed beneath it, while those beyond were cut off from us.

Schaeffer made quick work of the vampires in front of the earthen wall, but I was already moving across the intersection to Eliot's hall. I pushed at the mammoth's shoulder, and he shifted to one side. I repeated the process there, aiming a second sandstone snap just above where he'd built up the pile of vampires. The collapsing tunnel finished off the bloody bulwarks he'd managed.

Free from attack on two fronts, the two shifted to help the others. I saw that in the chaos, Cooper had been hurt, and was lying on his back in the hallway facing the stairwell. Eliot shifted around to help Dillon hold the hall, while Schaeffer helped the women.

The Red Court vampires before them were creeping down the hallway while the three of them reloaded. The high capacity drums for the Glocks and AR15s had been spent, and they were falling back to the standard backup magazines.

I pushed my way past the three of them, and snatched another snap from my wrist.

" _Gwelu-ur!_ " I shouted, hurling the white crystal snap into the midst of the vampires. It struck one in the chest, and the hall lit up as the ball lightning spell ignited.

A sphere of blue-white energy erupted from the snap, sizzling and burning its way through the vampire I'd struck. Bolts of electrical energy shot out in all directions, causing the vampires around them to scream in agony. Those closest to the spell were killed instantly, while the rest were left convulsing on the floor.

The two vampires I'd come with darted past me, their blades striking like their own form of lightning. The wounded Reds were dead in seconds, and those beyond them hesitated to press in.

I threw another ball lighting snap, and those remaining either died or fled.

Natalia started to run after them, but skidded to a halt as a side door opened, and someone stepped into the hallway.

Everything we'd faced up until then had been like something from a nightmare. Bat-like forms with slick flesh, long teeth and longer claws. They were alien to my mind, and my visceral reaction was to kill them before they could kill me. But the thing that stepped from the door was…

Well…

He was dapper.

He wore a black tuxedo suit tailored to his slim form, with pointed tails of fabric trailing down in the back. The shirt was white, contrasting with the thin blood-red tie around his throat. Even in the dark with night vision lighting the space, I thought the man looked tan. Which I thought was odd for a vampire that supposedly couldn't go out in daylight. His dark hair was a mess of curls, and his features were strikingly sharp. When he saw us he smiled a brilliant white smile.

And then he tried to take Natalia's head off.

I barely saw him move, a thin sword I hadn't noticed in his hand whipping toward the warrior vampire. She pulled back, deflecting the blow with her curving knife. The hallway was still too compact for her to have pulled her axe, and she desperately tried to defend herself with the short blade.

She managed for a few exchanges, but then the Dapper Man got a lucky strike to her leg. As she stumbled, his sword took her in the chest, and I saw it jut from the back of her leather vest.

The Dapper man twisted the blade back and forth, skewering the vampire. Then he kicked out, his leg incredibly fast and unbelievably strong. His foot took Natalia in the gut, and she was thrown backward at violent speed. I saw her bounce off the wall and sag to the floor in front of me.

I looked up to see the Dapper Man grinning at me. I had just enough time to realize that nothing stood between me and the man that was faster than the dead White Court vampire, and then he was darting toward me.

His sword lashed out, a strike sweeping across my vision. The blade struck my spellworked glasses, the reinforced glass and wood frame holding up long enough to keep him from cutting my head in two. The sword cut a gouge into the right lens and across the bridge, and then the glasses were gone as the sword tore past. My vision went dark even as I felt blood spurt from a wound to my nose, and I started falling backward.

Before I knew what was happening, his sword swiped again, this time across my chest. The blade tore across my leather jacket, and made a ringing sound as it slid across the spear shaft in my right hand. The force of the blow sent me spinning to the ground, and I lost sight of him in the dark. I raised my spear above me blindly, trying to use the red-hot spearhead to see by as I gasped for breath.

The sword swung across again, and I lost my grip on the spear. It hit the wall beside me, and was nowhere near ready to block the next downward strike coming my way with supernatural speed.

Fortunately, Anya arrived just then, her short swords held before her to catch the blow and deflect it aside.

The two monsters dueled at impossible speeds, with the slightly shorter woman using both blades to keep up with the single weapon of his. My eyes couldn't track their movements in the dark, but I saw when one of her blades was knocked away, and then his sword criss-crossed in front of the girl. I thought I saw a curtain of blood in the dark as he shredded her, and then she fell to one last strike across her throat.

As she collapsed, I saw the Dapper Man turn back to me. I couldn't make out his features, but something told me he was still grinning wickedly as he strode forward with the confidence of a man who'd just been assured of victory.

Schaeffer appeared beside me, his AR15 up and firing at the man. I saw a flicker of movement as the Dapper Man dodged, impossibly quick, and a knife whipped out of nowhere. It cut across Schaeffer's arm, and I heard him grunt as he dropped the weapon.

And then the only sound was the gunfire of those behind us trying desperately to hold back a wave of vampires, even as more surged forward from the darkness behind the Dapper Man. Their screeches and howls filled the tunnel, and I knew it would only be a moment before they were on us.

I reached for the spear, still only in its short form. There was another foot of steel that I could extend from the pommel end, but it would only make it that much more difficult to wield it in the narrow hallway. So I left it as a short spear, and stood as the Dapper Man strolled forward.

"I expected more," he said softly, a dark humor in his voice. "The rulers of the White Court stand at death's door, and all they send is worthless scraps? Maybe we shouldn't bother with all of this, if they're so useless in a fight," he added, casually kicking Anya's bloody form.

"You'll never get away with this," Schaeffer muttered, which was about as cliche as it got. They obviously didn't pay him for his wit.

My chest was hurting from the blow, and I found it hard to breath. I could feel blood dripping down inside the mask on my face. Even my right arm was throbbing from where the disarming blow had struck. My hand was a little numb, and I couldn't quite feel the spear in my grip.

Still, if I was going to die, I was going to die fighting. And with my glasses gone, I wouldn't last long. Not that I would even if I could see them coming.

But something seemed wrong about dying in the dark, being overrun by bloodthirsty monsters. Something in me recoiled at the thought, and I whispered another command as the horde of vampires leapt forward and around the Dapper Man.

" _Cala-nasta_ ," I wheezed, replacing the red-hot spear spell with the illuminating one. I twisted my upper body and prepared for their rush, holding the spearhead forward. It's glow shifted from bright red to a brilliant silver-white light that filled the tunnel with a warm glow.

A glow, in fact, that made the vampires scream.

The light touched on those that had been approaching, and their bodies convulsed under it. Tendrils of smoke rose from their skin, and those closest to us burst into flames as the argent light expanded outward.

The Dapper Man shielded his face from the glowing spear as the others retreated past him, and I saw even his skin begin to smoke. A animalistic growl escaped his throat, and I caught a flash of furious eyes before he darted off down the tunnel.

I stood there, stunned, as the others all responded to the unexpected chance. Those behind us opened fire, killing those vampires that were still writhing in range. Even Schaeffer responded, snatching my gun from its holster. The magazine was empty, but his wounded hand was still functioning, and he tore one of my spares from beneath my arm and jammed it home as two more forms emerged from the doorway ahead.

The first was a thin woman, dressed identically to the Dapper Man I'd just seen. Her curling dark hair was longer, but other than that and the slight feminine curves to her suit, she could have been his twin, even down to the thin blade she wielded. Her skin began to smoke from the light, and she gave an angry hiss at the sight of it.

The second was an old woman, the dark skin of her face weathered and wrinkled. She'd been crying, and flinched as the Dapper Woman yanked her into the hallway. I was surprised to see that the light didn't have the same effect on her as it did the others. She clutched at a box, and had an old leather bag hanging from her shoulder.

Schaeffer opened fire at both of them, not caring which he hit. Based on situation and her ethnic garb, I was willing to bet the old woman was a witch of some sort. Schaeffer had likely guessed the same, and figured that killing her would end things just as well as killing the vampires.

The female vampire stepped in front of the woman, and I saw her body shake as Schaeffer's rounds struck her. All too quickly, the magazine was spent, and the vampire sagged against the wall.

Sensing an opportunity, I hefted the spear and hurled it at her. The spearhead seemed to grow brighter as it hurtled through the air, and the vampire screamed as it set her afire. She blurred to the side, my strike missing her entirely.

But it didn't miss the woman behind her. The glowing blade cut at her side before clanking against the wall.

The woman cried out as she fell, gripping the wound. Blood pooled under her fingers, but the female vampire didn't give her time to recover. Schaeffer and I saw the blistered Dapper Woman grab the older woman with one hand and the box with the other, and then the two were gone in a flash, disappearing back down the hallway where the man had fled.

And then we were alone, four mortal men standing or lying on the floor of the hallway, trying to catch our breaths. I shared a surprised look with Schaeffer, who seemed just as amazed as I was to be alive.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After a moment, Schaeffer moved forward, and I saw him kneel beside Anya. The punky vampire girl wasn't moving, and pale blood was pooling on the concrete floor beneath her. I figured she was gone, but Schaeffer checked her, and then his head snapped up. "She's still breathing."

Eliot surged past me and knelt beside Anya while Schaeffer moved on to Natalia, who I was surprised to see sitting up.

"We need to…," she managed to rasp before trailing off into a feeble cough, her words weak and warbling due to the collapsed lung in her chest. The leader of the guards helped her up, and carried her forward. Eliot scooped up the punky vampire and followed after.

I went to retrieve my spear, and saw something lying beside it. Reaching down, I realized it was the bag the witch had been carrying. My throw had not only cut her, but the strap as well. I hefted the leather bag, and felt the contents shift within. Maybe it would offer us a clue as to who the woman was, and how she was casting the spells.

As I tried to carry it and my spear in my left arm, Dillon stumbled past with Cooper in his grasp. The wounded man had lost his cowboy hat somewhere along the way, and there was blood on one leg and his side. But despite the injuries, he seemed to be in fairly good shape. They stumbled into the room where the vampires and the witch had emerged, and I followed shortly after.

The floor of the room was northing more than earth and stone, with a slight slope to it leading down to a drain in the center. The only light in the place was coming from my spear, and I turned it back and forth to look about. Schaeffer had placed Natalia against one wall, and quickly backtracked to the doorway. I saw Eliot carry Anya to the other side, where he laid her down gently. I couldn't see where she was breathing, but I took Schaeffer at his word. There was another doorway in the back wall, and it appeared to lead to another small room.

"What's the plan?" Dillon asked as he helped Cooper stand to one side.

"Backup should be on its way," Schaeffer said, closing the door. There wasn't a lock, but it's not like one would do any good against vampires. "We just need to hold up until then."

"Schaeffer, Dillon," Natalia wheezed, looking to the two. "You will watch out. Eliot," she said, turning to the mountain. "Bring me Cooper, and then see to Anya."

The guards all stiffened, their eyes traveling to the injured man. Cooper seemed to straighten up, his eyes shifting around nervously. Eliot just stood there, his face as emotionless as it had been in the apartment building, when he held a gun to my head. He turned to look at his teammate, and gave him a slight nod.

Do your duty.

After a moment of frozen time, the men moved to obey their master.

Eliot moved to take Cooper from Dillon. The injured man did his best to limp toward the vampire, who was removing the remains of her white vest. I looked away as a tendril of power drifted across the room, quickening my pulse.

Schaeffer quickly turned away and took stock of our weaponry with Dillon. Neither had the heart to watch as Cooper walked himself over to the critically wounded vampire, whose eyes were a bright silver as she watched him come.

I couldn't stand to watch, and moved to the far doorway. The door itself was missing, but a quick inspection confirmed the room beyond held no other means of escape. I entered anyway, trying to distance myself from the what I knew was about to happen.

Spotting an old sink against one wall, I tried the faucet. A dry echo reverberated from the pipes, and I sighed tiredly. Giving up on any thoughts of wiping the gore and blood from me, I settled against the wall.

I looked around, realizing I was in an old laundry room. Everything had been removed from the space, save the sink, but I could see the old connections for a washer. I wondered what it had looked like a lifetime ago.

I leaned back against the wall, the spear sliding from my grasp as I heard the men in the other room shuffle about, letting their teammate go to his death. Surely one of them would say something. Surely one of them would tell her to wait for help.

But they didn't. I could hear Cooper grunt in pain as he knelt beside the vampire. A second later, a startled gasp of pleasure escaped his lips.

I shook my head, disgusted with the lot of them.

The light was extinguished from the spear with a muttered breath, leaving the room shrouded in shadows. I did it for myself, so I could hide from what was happening in the other room. I think his teammates appreciated that as well, as they didn't have to watch Cooper die. I heard Eliot join them at the front, and they did their best to ignore the moans of pleasure. I think the mountain of a man was saying his goodbyes before doing his own duty to try and help Anya. If the girl was still alive, she'd likely drain the man dry to heal herself.

Against the wall, I shrugged out of my jacket and removed my gloves, helmet and mask. My face was caked in blood, but it must not have been a bad wound, as it'd already stopped bleeding. I felt along the cut on my nose, and found only a shallow slice just beneath where my glasses had been. The reinforced glass and wood had saved me.

Taking inventory, I checked the other wounds I'd accumulated. There were bruises all over my upper body from where the first vampire had thrashed against me. My dragon skin jacket had kept any of those sharp claws from slicing me open, but they didn't do anything for the force of the blows. The same could be said for my chest and right arm. The blows had been enough leave me gasping in pain; had the Dapper vampire used his strength for a bludgeoning blow rather than a cutting strike, my ribs and arm would most likely have been broken.

I shifted in the dark, sitting Indian style and concentrating on a little mantra Olivia had taught me, one that would help me clear my mind of troubled thoughts and allow me to meditate. Hopefully it would distract me from the sounds emanating from the other room, but at minimum, would help me concentrate on healing.

When we'd met, Olivia and I had both received a seed from a golden apple. The fruit was the stuff of legend, bestowing immortality to those whom consumed it. Consuming just the seed had healed the wounds we'd taken that night, along with any preexisting issues. Chronic pains from dancing were no longer an issue for Olivia, and the aches I'd accumulated in my few years were remedied, along with my poor eyesight.

Ever since then, we'd both experienced an unexpected benefit to having consumed the seed: we tended to heal at remarkable rates. We were by no means immortal, and a deadly wound was still deadly. But if we managed to survive, our injuries would heal faster than they would for others. Injuries that should have taken months to heal would only take weeks. Minor scrapes would last hours instead of days.

Olivia had found that when she meditated or performed yoga, her aches and sores healed even faster. She'd taught me some basics, and I'd tried duplicating her results. I hadn't seen much improvement, but I wasn't all that good at it yet. I had a hard time concentrating on the meditation, especially when it sounded like two people were having sex in the front room.

I pushed those thoughts aside, and tried to concentrate on helping myself. There was nothing I could do for Cooper. He'd agreed to work for these things, and had gone willingly to Natalia. I had to tell myself that it was his choice.

I spent several minutes trying to pretend the rest of the world didn't exist, right up until it came crashing back.

Shrouding the rooms in darkness might have saved us from seeing Cooper's fate, but it also prevented me from realizing the danger to myself until it was too late. The guards were still in the other room, so I doubt they even realized what was happening until they heard my startled yelp.

I felt someone grab me, and my eyes snapped open from my failed attempt at meditation. In the pitch black, Anya's argent eyes glowed with an inhuman light. I saw the jagged opening in her throat, her neck and jacket wet with pale blood, and then she was on me. I tried to push her away, but I was no match for the full hunger of the White Court vampire.

Her lips found mine, wet with blood and hungry for life, and my world spun away as she took me.

When I first moved from Lake Providence to Chicago, I stayed at a placed owned by a family friend. He put up with my presence while I was enrolled at a local college gaining my degree. But I made friends who lived on campus, who would let me crash at their places on the weekends, letting Ron have the run of his studio.

I recall one evening when I'd attended a house party. It got a little wild, and I got a little drunk. I had reached that pleasant plateau of inebriation where everything was just a little bit fuzzy as a warm feeling crept over me.

There was a girl I'd been flirting with at the party. I didn't know her name, but I'd been doing my best to chat her up. I'd had some moderate success in amusing her, but we'd parted ways as the evening went on.

In the early hours of the morning, I'd settled down into a large comfy chair in an office or library of some sort. I'd been talking to someone, but I couldn't recall when they'd left, or if they'd ever really been there. I was comfortably numb, as the song goes.

Somewhere in the haze of my consciousness, I grew aware of the girl's presence. It was the girl who I'd been flirting with earlier. She'd had a few drinks herself, and was looking for some fun. I was happy to oblige, although I didn't do any of the work. That was left to her, and a marvelous job she did.

There's something satisfying about having a woman use you to their heart's content. And there's something both personal and impersonal about an encounter with someone you don't know. Someone who you don't have to worry about judging you, or making you self-conscious about what you might have done.

I remember reveling in the experience at the time.

I also remember feeling somewhat cold later on, as the lack of emotion made the entire affair regrettable. After it was all said and done, I somehow felt empty.

I hadn't thought of that encounter in years. Maybe it was due to the events of the evening, having been exposed to so many White Court vampires and their seductive auras. Maybe it was the fluid that had inflamed me when Olivia kissed me, fueling my pre-existing attraction and appreciation for my friend into an uncontrollable lust.

Or maybe it was because, as I slowly regained an awareness of my surroundings, I realized I was making out with a White Court vampire.

And if I didn't stop, I'd be drained until there was nothing left.

In my half-waking dream, I was reliving that encounter at the party. Only, instead of the girl being a nameless co-ed, it was Anya.

My mind struggled to understand, and as it did, I found myself on my back in the remnants of the old mansion basement. Anya was atop me, straddling my waist as she gyrated pleasantly. At some point most of her clothing had disappeared, torn away in her eagerness. Her flesh was hot as she pressed against me, and my brain reeled from the pleasure I was feeling. Her tongue dueled with mine, and I had the distinct feeling that she was winning.

" _Enough!_ " someone shouted, and the punky vampire girl was suddenly wrenched away. I gasped as I flopped back down to the cold floor of the laundry room, my eyes struggling to focus in the dim light.

Others had arrived by then, and the front room was partially lit with glow sticks and flashlights. I saw that a medic was checking over Eliot, who looked to have bumped his head while I was out. The field doctor was wrapping a bandage around a freshly cleaned wound. Schaeffer was talking to some guards that had arrived, while Dillon was helping some others put what was left of Cooper on a gurney.

I averted my eyes, as guilt gnawed at my gut.

Instead, I trained my attention on the three vampires just outside the laundry room. I recognized Natalia and Anya, but the other one was new. She had a bit of a punk look herself, with cropped hair on the sides like Anya, but long black bangs left hanging across one eye. I saw several piercings on her face, and had a sudden insight that this might be Elisa, the one Anya had spoken of.

The new arrival was holding the younger girl up. Anya was topless, and I realized her shredded jacket, shirt, and bra lay just a few feet from me. I averted my gaze, as I didn't need to see all that pale flesh with the entrancing silver tattoos that seemed to glow along with her skin in the low light, winding back and forth across her pert and firm body. I'd seen enough of that already.

Well. I might have snuck a peek.

What I noticed most — honestly, it was a clinical observation — was that all of the vampire's wounds were gone. Her skin was fresh and whole, as if she'd never been sliced to ribbons. There might have been a hitch or two in the tattoo, but there wasn't a trace of the mortal injuries she'd relieved. You'd only notice if you looked too closely.

Which I wasn't. Honestly.

Natalia was looking whole as well as she shrugged her vest back on. All I saw of her was the back of her head and her rigid muscled shoulders. From appearances, it seemed as if she was barely holding herself back from tearing the girl to pieces.

"What have you _done?_ " the warrior woman hissed, her rage bubbling up. "He was our best shot at _finding them!_ "

"'S'good," Anya slurred, her speech as impaired as her ability to stand upright on her own.

"What's wrong with her?" Elisa asked, frowning down at the girl.

"She was hurt. Badly," Natalia explained, her voice livid. "She lost control, and fed from the wizard."

"He's warm," Anya confided to Elisa with a sloppy smile.

"Foolish girl. You have _no idea_ what you've done," Natalia growled. "You cannot feed from them that deeply. It's too much."

"Like sunshine," Anya mumbled drunkenly, blinking chrome eyes at the taller vampire.

"How much did she take?" Elisa asked, briefly looking my way. I could kind of make her out in the light.

"Too much," Natalia said with a sad shake of her head. "I didn't realize what was happening until you arrived. I shouldn't have distracted myself with Cooper until after I'd seen to her." The vampire almost sounded defeated. "If he survives, he'll be comatose."

I thought of the blank stare as they'd carted Cooper out. Not a great retirement package for someone that had served them so loyally. But at least he was alive; I'd thought him dead. My anger spike again, at the vampire for doing that to him, and myself for letting it happen.

"Perhaps mine can help," Elisa said. She shifted slightly as she held Anya up, seeming to grow tired of the task. I followed her gaze, and saw someone crouching in a far corner of the front room, studying something in the shadows. It was hard to see them at that angle. "She might find something."

"The wizard was the only one to make any progress so far," Natalia spat.

Which I thought was a rude thing to say. I figured I'd done pretty well for myself, all things considered. But if they'd managed to track down the Wizard, then so be it. I was ready to be done with these things.

I sat up, and fumbled around for my jacket. As I did, I was surprised to find that my arm and chest weren't hurting. I took a deep breath, but the expected twinge of pain never presented itself.

Instead, I realized my entire body was thrumming with nervous energy. The aches I'd had after the fight were gone. Glancing at my chest, my first observation was that my shirt was ripped open. It looked like Anya had torn it to shreds in her enthusiasm. The second thing I noticed was a complete lack of bruising from the sword strike or the thrashing the first vampire had given me.

I hadn't really worried that they'd be lasting; not with the help of the apple seed I'd had. But it still should have taken hours or days for them to fade completely.

Amazed, I fumbled for my jacket, which I'd removed earlier. After a moment, I managed to find my box of cigarettes. Rather than keeping them in a pack, I typically put a few into a pack-sized snakewood box along with a few cinnamon sticks. That had most likely kept them from being crushed by the vampire that had landed atop me. I withdrew a cigarette, and slid the filter between my lips and brought one of the silver rings to the tip.

" _Dosta-forma,_ " I whispered softly. At the command, the silver ring on my right hand started to glow red-hot. I touched the tip of the cigarette to the ring, and got it going before extinguishing the ring. " _Sanya-forma_."

I took a long drag, and enjoyed the smoke for a moment before exhaling. I didn't get as much out of smoking ever since I'd started wearing Violet's ring, as it protected me from any harmful effects from fire or its byproducts. Getting a buzz usually required chain smoking a few cigarettes back to back.

As I smoked, I shrugged the remains of my shirt off. The vampire hadn't managed to get my pants off during our little exchange, so at least I was decent. I looked around the room again, and found the vampires staring at me from the doorway. Schaeffer had joined them, and had a wide eyed look as well.

"What?" I mumbled around the cigarette. "This isn't a peep show, people."

"You're…" Natalia said, her eyes entirely too large.

"Like a campfire," Anya said warmly, leaning her head against Elisa.

"You're alive," Natalia finished, ignoring the other one.

"No shit," I said, reaching for my jacket. While I might normally enjoy three beautiful women staring intensely at my half-nude form, it lost a bit of its appeal knowing what they were.

"How?" she asked as I pulled the jacket on and zipped it up. When I looked back to her, I realized she was genuinely perplexed.

"Did you hit your head?" I replied, frowning. "After the vampires took off, we all came in here."

"How did you survive the feeding?" Natalia asked, growing impatient. "How are you not brain-dead?"

"What?" I said, looking between them.

"Perhaps you were wrong," Elisa suggested, a pierced eyebrow arching inquisitively.

"No," Natalia snapped, sounding offended. "She fed deeply. I could feel it from across the room. I just assumed it was from Eliot."

"He tried, mam," Schaeffer said helpfully. "When we realized what had happened, we tried to intercede. But she threw Eliot across the room." He inclined his head toward the behemoth, and I once again noted the bandages wrapped around his noggin. "We couldn't do more without overstepping."

The three vampires returned their gaze to me, making me feel a little self-conscious. Anya just smiled a lazy smile in my direction. "Yum."

I stood up and retrieved the spear. It was still in its short form, so I sub-vocalized the command to have it collapse back down. The spearhead disappeared into the shaft, leaving it in the form of a two-foot rod. I slipped the rod into the sheath on my hip, and then retrieved the rest of my things.

The last was the bag, which I picked up and carried over to the others, who were still eerily silent. As I approached, the form in the front room stood up, and turned around to join them. When she saw me, her eyes widened.

"Woody?" Winema Cadotte asked, clearly as surprised to see me as I was to see her.

Winema was an older practitioner that was well respected in the Chicago area. Her skin was a deep mocha, and she usually had a smile for me when we ran into each other at McAnally's Pub. There was more gray than black in her long locks than I recalled from the last time I'd seen her, but she was wearing her typical earth-tone homespun clothing.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"They hired me and several others from the community to help," she said, glancing at the vampires. "We've been searching all night."

"Well, we found them," I said tiredly. "But I'm assuming they got away?"

Natalia nodded nodded slowly, still not speaking.

"Well, give this to the Wizard, then," I said, trying to hand the bag to her. "The witch had this on her. He should be able to find her with her stuff."

Elisa took the bag instead, and rummaged through it. After a quick inspection, she shook her head. "The samples are not here."

"I think they were in the box," I replied. At her look, I described the case the Dapper Woman had made sure to take with them in their escape. "But the wizard could probably use the witch's things to find her."

"Oh, no need," Winema said, holding up a ceramic jar. "We have her blood."

"How?" I asked, frowning.

"Your throw," Schaeffer said softly. "Your spear cut her. I directed Ms. Cadotte to it, to see if it would be of use."

"It will," the hedge witch confirmed. "I'll be able to make dowsing rods with this. We'll be able to follow after them."

"Well, it sounds like you guys are good to go," I said, handing the bag to the hedge witch, who blinked in surprise. "Best of luck."

I started for the far door, but a blur intercepted me. I stopped, tensing as Natalia blocked my way.

"You are not done until we find them, wizard," she said softly, her confusion replaced with a cold seriousness.

"Huh?" I said. "I'm not a wizard."

"I know what I saw."

And that's when I realized that they hadn't found the Wizard after all. When I'd heard them saying that the Wizard had been useful, they weren't talking about the one in the phone book. They were talking about me.

They thought _I_ was a wizard.

A cold chill coursed through me as I recalled the rest of that conversation. I cast a glance back over my shoulder, where Anya was still leaning against Elisa. Her flesh was healthy and beautiful after a deep, deadly feeding.

She'd fed on me.

My breath grew short as I realized what had happened. I'd assumed Anya had just barely begun before the others pulled her away. But it seemed she'd had enough time to fully restore her health. Enough time for the others to try and intercede, and then wait for backup to arrive.

I turned back to Natalia, my pulse quick as I realized just how close to death I'd come at the hands of my allies.

"No offense, but you don't," I told her hotly, moving to step past. She shifted, and my temper flared. "Get out of my way."

"We had a deal," she countered. "You were to help us find the person attacking us."

"Which I _did_ ," I snapped, stepping toward her. That seemed to surprise the vampire, who shifted back just a hair. "I found them for you. You're the ones that decided to rush in before checking the place out; without waiting for reinforcements. You almost got me killed, running down here without knowing what we were facing."

"We knew who they were," the woman began defensively.

"Right. Which you neglected to tell me from the beginning," I said in return. "Had I known just who we were hunting, I might have decided to take my chances denying you all."

The vampire stiffened at that. "You dare."

"Yes, I _bloody well dare_ ," I shouted, pointing a finger at her. " _You_ kept me in the dark. Then _you_ threatened me to get me down here. You made me fight one of the most powerful factions in the world, who happens to be _great_ at holding grudges, and has no qualms with killing those that defy them."

"You think less of us?" she whispered, her voice low and dangerous.

"No, I'm sure you're just as good at being monsters as the Reds," I said, making sure my tone was as patronizing as possible. "But I helped you. You owe me. So unless you're going to kill me after everything I did, get the _fuck_ out of my way."

I might have been a little out of line. Especially considering who I was insulting. But the warm glow I'd felt upon waking had quickly faded when it sank in that the vampire had been feeding on me. That when they were talking about someone being comatose after a deep feeding, they weren't talking about Cooper.

They were talking about me.

"Wait," Schaeffer said, stepping up beside me before I could try to push past the vampire. His voice was very soft, and very respectful. I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or Natalia. Probably her, as she looked just about ready to rip my head off.

"What?" I asked, trying to keep my frustration from my voice. Schaeffer seemed like a good guy. He'd stood beside me in the face of a monster, and we'd saved each others' lives in those tunnels.

But he'd also let his teammate walk to his death.

"What you said is true," Schaeffer said. "The Reds do hold grudges. And they may retaliate against you if they were to learn of your involvement."

"You're not helping your case," I pointed out sarcastically.

"But everyone who knows of your involvement is here, in Chicago, right now. Tonight." He kept his tone patient and low. "Tomorrow, who knows where they'll be."

I scowled at him, but understood what he was saying. "You want me to help you find them to help myself."

"It makes sense," he said with an apologetic shrug. "Our needs coincide. And if you help, the family will still be in your debt."

I stared at him, and then turned back to Natalia, who looked like her temper had begun to cool with his words. I considered them, and cursed myself for agreeing.

"Fine," I spat, knowing I'd regret it. "But I'm no wizard."

With the last word said, I scooted past the simmering vampire, knowing that one way or another, I'd likely just dug my own grave.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

In the hallway, I activated an illumination spell from one of the silver rings I wore to look for my missing glasses. After finding them, I went up topside, where I found a small army of White Court members and their servants.

It wasn't really an army. There was only a handful of vampires, and twice as many mortal guards. But they were swarming all over the place, looking for any clues as to where the Reds had disappeared to, while simultaneously guarding for their potential return.

I stood aside, lighting up another cigarette and trying to burn off my anxiety. I'd come close to dying too many times in only a short while, and I needed a moment. At least the rain had stopped.

Schaeffer eventually found me, and updated me on what was going on.

"They heard from the office," he said as he walked up. "Arcadia's going to make it."

At my blank look, he explained. "She was the target for the last attack. The spell activated, and she started burning. Apparently our attack interrupted things. She survived, and they haven't tried again."

"Probably spent her samples on the spell," I said, taking a drag. "I'm surprised they haven't killed another to make their point."

"Maybe they're trying to find another location," the guard said, looking around the empty lot.

"So we need to find them before they get settled," I concluded. "Or they'll start up again."

The man nodded. "That's the consensus. Ms. Cadotte is completing the tracking spell now with the blood."

"Good eye spotting that," I told him. I'd been over to pick up the bag, but hadn't thought of using the blood. But then, I wasn't a wizard, and I was still fairly new to all of it.

"Listen," the man said softly, shooting a low glance around to make sure no-one was in hearing range. Which was a wide range, considering the abilities of the vampires. "I have to ask how you survived that feeding."

"Fucked if I know," I told him, dropping the burnt cigarette to the ground before withdrawing another. "I've never met a Wamp before tonight."

"A 'Wamp'?" the man asked, arching a curious eyebrow.

"Well I can't go around calling them 'Whites'," I explained, blinking. "That'd be racist. Especially if the Black Court was still around. Could you imagine the P.R. nightmare? Hell, I'm surprised we get away with calling the others 'Reds'."

Schaeffer cracked a smile, quite possibly for the first time ever. "The family calls them blood-bladders. Although the ones we faced tonight were only esclavos de sangre; not what you'd call the elite of the Red Court."

"They were what?" I asked, startled. "They certainly seemed like vampires to me."

"It means blood slaves," Natalia said as she approached. I shot her a scowl for interrupting, but she promptly ignored it. "They are vampires that have gone completely feral. They're deadly, but their insatiable blood-thirst makes them irrational and predictable. Not terribly dangerous except in large numbers."

I wanted to protest the 'not terribly dangerous' part, but didn't want to sound whiny. I'd been proud of the fact that I'd taken a few out on my own. My pride ignored the fact that Anya and Natalia had killed what seemed like dozens by hand. I also ignored that the Dapper twins had been in an entirely different league, one that I had no business being in.

"Good guard dogs for a trap," Natalia finished.

"They knew we were coming," I said aloud, realizing it as I said it.

The vampire nodded. "There was a second entrance that the leaders escaped through. It seems some of the blood slaves were sent out and around to block our escape, while others lay in wait."

"Someone inside your organization is working with them," I warned her. "First the samples they took, and now this?"

"We are reviewing everyone on our staff," Natalia assured me coldly. It seemed she wasn't quite over our argument in the basement.

I declined to reply, and a moment later Winema arrived. She still had the other witch's bag, along with three dowsing rods dipped with blood. The sticks were a few inches long before branching into two. I'd seen them in use before, but never worked with them myself.

"These will lead us to the witch," she said, passing one to Natalia. "I've created three."

"Excellent," the warrior vampire said. She turned away, calling for the others to prepare to leave.

"You know they're not going to let that go," Schaeffer said softly as we headed for the cars. "They're going to want to know how you faired so well after feeding one of theirs."

Rather than replying, I simply nodded my head, and resolved myself to see about getting some backup that wouldn't try and eat me or dissect me before the night was over.

* * *

As our cavalcade chased after our quarry, I tugged at my borrowed shirt. Apparently the vampires were used to ending up in situations where there clothes were torn off, and carried spares with them. The white t-shirt — because of course it was white, how could it be anything else? — was a little tight; it'd been retrieved from Carlo's bag. The tagless underwear model had been ridiculously slim, which meant his shirt was form fitting on me.

I was appreciative all the same. My tattered shirt wouldn't have done any good, and going bare chested would have left my jacket rubbing against my skin. And while the Norse armorer that had worked it had done a great job, they hadn't been concerned with chaffing. There was only a thin inner liner, a minor inconvenience considering the benefits it provided.

But nobody likes chaffed nipples.

Well, almost nobody. While I'd taken the opportunity to get properly dressed, Anya had simply shrugged off her torn items and retrieved her original silver jacket. She'd even left it open, which wasn't doing my attention any favors.

When it came time to leave, Natalia had swapped vehicles with Anya. I think she wanted to keep the punky vampire away from me. I appreciated that, but the warrior woman's attitude wasn't any warmer than it'd been in the basement. As Schaeffer used the dowsing rod to direct our journey, the vampire sat beside me, drilling holes into my brain with her slate eyes.

"Tell me what you are," Natalia said, her voice softer than her gaze.

"Lend me a cell phone first," I countered.

When she refused to react, I sighed. "Look, the police are expecting me to check in. If I don't, they'll put out an APB for all of your vehicles. That'll slow you down, which you can't afford. So lend me a phone, let me update them, and make one other call, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

The vampire considered my words, before finally nodding. She withdrew a smart-phone as I retrieved Stallings' card from my wallet. I was glad he'd given it to me; even if the loss of my own phone, and the numbers saved within, wasn't my fault for once.

"Lieutenant Stallings," he answered crisply after a single ring.

"It's Hayes," I said as I put his card away.

"Where the hell did you run off to?" the man asked, sounding calmer than his words. "Rawlins tried to keep up, but lost you at the apartment."

"I was afraid of that," I said, knowing the vampire could most likely hear the other end of the conversation. "Just wanted to update you. We got a lead on the perpetrators, but they fled."

"They?" the cop asked, not missing the terminology.

"A man and a woman," I advised him. I described the twins, and I could almost hear his eyes rolling in his head. "They've got a woman with them. I think they're using her to cast the spells." I gave a description of her as well, including the injury she sustained.

"So you confronted them." It wasn't a question, nor was it approving.

"There may have been an encounter," I said vaguely. I wasn't about to admit that the woman's injury was from a spear I'd thrown. That was assault in all fifty states.

"Damnit, Hayes," the man said, sounding more tired than angry. "Where are you now?"

"We're following another lead," I said, casting a glance at Natalia. Her eyes had a warning glint in them. "I can't say much more."

"Why not?" the commander of S.I. asked, finally growing frustrated.

"Argent has reason to believe that the perpetrators have infiltrated the police," I explained, before adding quickly. "Not your group, necessarily, but others. They're worried that as information about their search is disseminated across jurisdictions, word will get back to the bad guys." I thought that sounded pretty good, even if I had to stop myself from saying 'Reds' right there at the end.

Stallings was silent for a moment. "I understand their concern, but I can vouch for my people. We can keep this in house."

Natalia slowly shook her head, confirming that the call might as well have been on speaker phone. "I don't think they're willing to risk any more of their people. We managed to save the victim of the last attempt. If we can catch up with them, then we can finish it."

"By taking the law into their own hands?" Stallings said, his voice growing dangerous. He was usually calm and cool, but he didn't like breaking the rules. Nor rule breakers.

"Trust me when I say that if you guys got involved in what's going on, you'd have a lot of dead cops on your hands," I told him, being brutally honest.

"So I'm supposed to sit back and let them run around with their commandos, risking civilian lives?" Stallings said, clearly not accepting my words. "No way. I'd rather me and my men be in the line of fire than innocents."

"I sympathize with that, Lieutenant. I really do." I wondered why nobody was concerned about my innocent life. "And if we get to that point, you'll be my first call."

"Damnit, Hayes, just tell me—" he said, before Natalia reached over and took the phone back, ending the call.

"I need to make another," I said before she could put it away. She eyed me suspiciously, but handed it over.

I dialed one of the few numbers I had memorized, hoping they would pick up on the other end.

After half a dozen rings, they did, but no-one spoke. A soft breath was all that confirmed someone was on the other line.

"Q, it's me," I said. My roommate was probably paranoid from getting a call from an unknown number.

"Woody?" his thin voice rasped.

"In the flesh," I replied. "For now, at least."

"What are you in to?" Q asked, picking up on my mood.

"I just wanted to let you know I won't be home for a while," I explained, shooting a glance at the vampire beside me. I knew she could hear the entire conversation, and hoped Q picked up on my subterfuge.

"Pulling an all-nighter?" he breathed, his words barely picked up by the phone.

"Yeah. Real party over here," I replied. "Wish I'd brought my cigar cutter and lighter."

There was only the briefest of pauses. "You lent your lighter to Bailey."

"Yeah, I know," I said. "I kind of wish I hadn't."

"I could get it back for you," Q said softly. "Where are you going to be?"

"Not sure yet," I said, looking to the front. Schaeffer was still directing Dillon. Two of the vehicles behind us had dowsing rods as well, but the fleet of black Suburbans were sticking together. "I'll let you know. Looks like we're heading downtown."

"Alright," my roommate said. "Anything else?"

"Not for now," I told him. "Sit tight."

Q hung up without another word, and I handed the phone back to Natalia. She shook her head and gave a slight roll of her eyes as she put her phone away.

"What?" I asked, frowning.

"Am I supposed to think that in the middle of all of this," she said, gesturing to the car, "you're worried about a cigar cutter and a lighter?"

"I could really use a serious smoke," I lied. "These cigarettes aren't cutting it."

"So that wasn't some code you've cooked up with your goblin roommate?" she asked with an eyebrow cocked high. At my startled blink, she rolled her eyes. "Do you really think we'd hire you without at least doing some sort of background check?"

"I didn't realize my living arrangements were that well known," I admitted.

"When we brought in some of the others earlier in the evening, your name was mentioned more than once for having looked into locater spells," she admitted. "We decided not to contact you, as they said you had no real power." She arched an eyebrow. "Clearly they were mistaken."

Before I could protest, she continued. "As soon as we inquired, we learned about your goblin and your pet salamander."

I just blinked at her. She let out a frustrated sigh. "Let me guess. The goblin is your cigar cutter, the fire elemental is your cigarette lighter, and you're making arrangements to have them back you up."

"What? That'd be silly," I protested.

"Right," she said. She glanced out the window as she shook her head. "Mortals."

"Well can you blame me?" I asked, scowling at her. "In the last two hours I've been thrown into a wall, run over by an army of blood-crazed vampires, sliced by a grinning maniac, and fed on by one of my supposed allies. One that I also had to prevent from eating my friend."

Natalia simply studied me. "And yet you show no sign of injury or fatigue."

"Yeah, well, I've been lucky," I said shortly, hoping she wouldn't focus on that. But it seemed we'd come full circle, as her eyes narrowed.

"You've made your calls," she said. "Now you will tell me what I want to know."

I gave a long-suffered sigh before nodding. "Fine. What?"

"Are you a wizard?"

"No," I told her truthfully. "Definitely not a wizard."

"Then what are you?" she asked, genuinely confused. "I saw you casting spells back in the tunnels. You threw lightning at our enemies."

I held up my right wrist, so that she could see the leather stud bracelet I wore. "These are prefabricated spells," I explained, pulling a metal button snap free from the stud. It was one of the harmless ones, a simple metal cap with an arrow engraved on it. Smaller etchings encircled the image, which were too small to read with the naked eye.

I handed it to her, and she frowned down at it in confusion. "I do not understand."

"A friend of mine deals in magical items," I said. "I saw him use crystals to cast spells once, and asked him to help me put together a little self defense kit."

"What does it do?" she asked, turning the small snap over in her hands. It looked like one half of your typical snap button you'd find on a jacket. Which it was, until my friends and I had modified it.

"That one's a tracking snap," I said. "I've got others that do different things. You saw me throw a couple ball lightning snaps in the tunnel. I also threw some sandstone snaps to collapse the side tunnels."

"How are they powered?" she asked. Her gaze was fixed on the bracelet.

"My friend constructs the crystals and imbues them with spells and power," I explained. "The crystals are kept fresh by channeling power into them through the bracelet."

She looked back to me. "I thought you said you have no power."

I shrugged. "Everybody has some power. I don't have much. But my friend carved spells into the base of the snap studs, where they touch my skin." I pulled my bracelet away from my inner wrist, so that she could see where the metal touched my flesh. "The spells are two-fold. One part draws latent power from me; the other gathers kinetic energy when I move my arm."

I wasn't sure where Bailey had heard of such a thing. When he'd first told me about it, I wasn't sure that it'd be all that useful. But Q had engraved the studs, and we found that between the latent draw and the kinetic absorption, the spells were more than fresh. Some seemed to be even more powerful than when Bailey crafted them.

But it also meant that phones and other electronics were constantly breaking down around me, as I had a continuous flow of magic coursing into the bracelet. Even if it was only a small amount, it was enough to cause havoc. At least helping with my magical stamina. Keeping the heated spearhead spell going for any length of time used to leave me exhausted. Now I could go longer without feeling the drain as much.

"So anyone could use these?" she asked, studying the cap in her hand. I took it back, and returned it to the leather bracelet.

"If they knew the command words to activate them, probably."

The vampire studied me. I wasn't sure I liked the look. It was somewhere between covetous and clinical, both of which left me feeling like she'd like to take me apart.

"And the spear?" she asked, looking to the rod still in the leather sheath on my hip.

"Another magically crafted item," I assured her. "If you know the right words, it'd work for you."

"What was the light?" she asked, cocking her head. "I have never seen anything like that."

"Um. Honestly, I'm not sure," I said with a shrug. "That's never happened before."

"It was like sunlight," Schaeffer said from the front seat.

At his words, Natalia nodded. "Sunlight will burn them like that. But I have never seen artificial sunlight."

I frowned, thinking about it. "Well, when we made the spear, we tried a whole bunch of things to give me an advantage. One of them was an essence spell. It was supposed to absorb the essence of the things exposed to the metal in the forging process." I shrugged again. "One of the things we tried was sunlight. It might have worked."

We'd done a whole lot more than just sunlight. Everything that we could think of that hurt magical creatures had been incorporated into the spear, along with the other items crafted with it, like the pair of rings. We couldn't be sure just how much of it worked. I'd used the illumination spell on the spear in front of other creatures, but they'd never reacted like the Reds. Unless I ran across a particular beast that had an allergy to a particular ingredient, I might never know if that particular essence spell worked.

Natalia seemed to accept that. She nodded, and returned her gaze to me. "That does not explain how you survived the feeding."

"I don't know," I lied, shaking my head. "Maybe she didn't pull that much from me?"

The vampire's face hardened, and I was sure she'd sensed my falsehood. But as she spoke, I realized she was simply offended that I'd question her word. "I felt her drawing from you. The young always take too much. That's why I told Eliot to provide for her; he is healthy and strong, which made him the most likely to survive her feeding."

I cocked my head as I considered that. "Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Of course," she replied with a slight frown. "Our personnel are not easily replaced. We do what we can to preserve their bodies and minds."

"But you fed from Cooper," I clarified. "I saw what was left of him when they took him from the room."

"I had few options," the vampire said, her voice tight. "I could not wait for others to arrive, and risk remaining vulnerable had the blood-bladders returned. Schaeffer and Dillon were in the best shape, and could continue serving us tonight. Cooper could not."

I didn't respond to that. From what I'd seen, the man was health enough to survive, even if he would have been less of a warrior than he'd been before. That was no reason to sacrifice his life.

But I didn't expect the monster to understand that. Maybe the woman would have, but I wasn't sure where one began and the other ended with Natalia. The line seemed more distinct with Anya.

"You, on the other hand, should be dead," Natalia stated bluntly. "I wish to know why you are not."

"I don't really know," I replied. "If I did, I'd tell you."

Which was another lie. I didn't know for sure what had happened, but I had a good guess.

While I had failed to ever truly duplicate Olivia's success with increasing my healing rate through meditation, she'd told me about her own experience. She claimed that her methods emphasized on Chakra meditation; that when she reached a certain point, she could almost feel the power granted from the apple seed as it worked at healing her. When she finished, she always felt infused with energy.

I'd felt something similar when I'd awoken. And sure enough, all of my wounds had been healed.

Part of me wondered if the vampire had somehow ended up drawing on the energy I'd been trying to channel through meditation. Rather than consuming my spirit, she consumed power from the apple seed. I didn't know enough about how their feeding worked, or even how the seed worked. But based on the evidence available, it was the only logical conclusion.

But I wasn't about to confirm to the succubus beside me that I might be an all-you-can-eat buffet for her kind.

"You're lying," the vampire said, her gaze hardening. "You know something—"

She was cut off by a resounding crack from the front seat.

We both turned forward, and saw the dowsing rod that Schaeffer had been holding was broken in two. The guard glanced to us, his eyes wide in surprise. "I didn't do that."

Before anyone could say anything, Natalia's phone started ringing. She pulled it from her pocket, and put it on speaker. "What is it?"

"Our dowsing rod just broke," a voice replied, sounding somewhat familiar. I was pretty sure it was Elisa, the other vampire that had been in the basement.

"Ours as well," Natalia confirmed. She motioned for Dillon to park while turning to Schaeffer. "Call the other vehicle, to see if the third rod broke." Un-muting her phone, she told Elisa, "Put the witch on."

A moment later, Elisa's phone went to speaker. "I'm here," Winema said, her voice crackling with static for a moment. I worried that her power might be enough to short the phone out on her end, but the call remained connected.

"What has happened?" Natalia demanded.

"The tracking spell I cast was broken," the hedge witch replied, her tone nervous.

"How is that possible?" Natalia asked, frowning furiously. "Did they get the woman behind a barrier of some sort?"

"No," Winema said, and I could picture her shaking her head. "If that had happened, the rods would have simply stopped working. This is something different. She targeted the spells themselves."

"How?" Natalia repeated.

"Well…" the hedge witch said, hesitating. "It could be that she sensed my spell. Some practitioners are so sensitive that they can tell when someone is casting in their direction. She might have sensed that the rods were tracking her, and sent a spell back at them."

"So cast the spell again," Natalia ordered.

"I can't," Winema said apologetically. "We used the blood we had. That was it."

"So we have no way of finding them?" the vampire asked from beside me, her voice a whisper as she realized the implications.

"I'm sorry," the hedge witch said. "They're gone."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The call went silent, as everyone in both vehicles considered the ramifications.

Natalia was the first to recover. She turned to me, eyes growing hard. "You will prepare another of your spells," she ordered.

"That won't work," I said, shaking my head.

"Why not?" the vampire asked, her tone growing dangerous again.

"Didn't you hear Winema?" I replied, gesturing to the phone. "The witch can sense when someone casts a spell at her."

"But it worked before—" Natalia began, before her eyes widened.

"She _let_ it work before," I corrected. "The Reds had to know you'd try and find them. It was only a matter of time. So they picked an obvious location and waited. When the tracking spell connected, the witch sensed it. They waited for us to arrive, and sprung the trap."

Natalia cursed. "So we have no way of knowing where they are, or where they were headed." She lifted the phone back up. "How long until they can resume their curses?"

The phone crackled for a second before Winema replied. "I'm not entirely sure."

"What do you mean?" the warrior woman asked, seeming to grow tired of mortals failing her.

"I don't know, because I don't know how they're doing it," the hedge witch explained. "I saw the circle they had prepared in the basement, and I've reviewed the supplies. The circle was complicated, but not terribly so. Theoretically they could go anywhere and repeat the process. I don't know why they haven't, and I don't know how they're doing it."

"What do you mean how?" Elisa asked over the phone.

"Well, the witch is using vodou," Winema explained.

"Voodoo?" Natalia asked, sounding confused.

"Not exactly," Winema said. "There's different types and styles of hoodoo, voodoo, and vodou. Based on the spell I saw in the basement, and the supplies in the bag, the witch is practicing Haitian vodou, but with heavy elements of traditional hoodoo."

"There was a doll," Schaeffer said from the front seat.

"Yes, exactly," Winema said. "Using vodou, the witch bonded the samples of those killed with prepared dolls. Then she cast the blessing."

"Blessing?" Natalia said dangerously. "You call her curse a _blessing?_ "

"That's what it was," Winema replied, her voice growing fearful. The cell phone crackled as her emotions spiked. "I reviewed what we found. There was nothing that indicated a curse. No sign of dark voodoo. There was only the traditional blessings."

"Blessings?" I asked, curious. I hadn't even known there was a difference between hoodoo and voodoo before that night. "What do you mean blessings?"

"Hoodoo is beneficial magic," Winema said. "Blessings for luck, health, love, fortune… nothing like what we've seen." Something in what she said caused Natalia to frown, but the vampire said nothing. "Like I said, I don't know how they're doing it."

"So what now?" Schaeffer asked. "They still have the samples. It's only a matter of time until they resume."

I looked at the clock, and wondered what was happening. Had they not had time to prepare another ritual site? Plenty of time had passed since their flight from the basement. Plenty of time to prepare a ritual circle. Maybe the woman's wounds were worse than we thought. But I'd seen the blood in the hallway as I'd left; there hadn't been much. Not enough for a mortal wound. Certainly not enough to kill her, and with some basic medical treatment, she'd be fine. Maybe the hour between spells was because it took that long to prepare, rather than a simply countdown.

"Winema," I said, drawing the eyes of the others in the car. "You saw the ritual circle. You said it wasn't that elaborate."

"It wasn't," she confirmed. "There was more to it than a simple circle, mostly using the ingredients to enhance the blessing."

"But the spell itself isn't complicated?"

"No," she confirmed.

So they had time. They had the witch. Any location would do. Which meant…

"The ingredients," I said.

"What about them?" Winema asked.

"The ingredients for the spell."

"I've reviewed them," Winema said, and I heard a shuffling from the other end of the phone. "She had dolls, gris-gris, incense, oils, and—" She stopped as she realized what I was saying. "The _ingredients_."

"What?" Natalia asked, confused and frustrated as she frowned down at the phone.

"The _ingredients_ ," Winema said, her tone growing excited. "Don't you see? The witch had the bag and the box. But Woody's spear cut the bag. They've got the samples, but they don't have the _ingredients needed for the spell_."

"Are they that important?" Anya asked.

"For the amount of power they're channeling, yes," Winema confirmed. "For a regular hoodoo doll, you don't need any of that. Just the doll, and the things to tie it to the target. Clothing, pictures, hair. That's it. But if they're using that circle for a hoodoo doll, then they're sending a lot of power into the spell. They need this stuff."

"Well, they can't have it," Natalia snapped. I wondered if she was trying to be funny.

"Then where can they get more?" Anya asked quickly.

"Beneath us," I said softly. Natalia turned to me just as Winema said, " _Of course!_ "

When they didn't get it, I pointed own. "We're about a block away from the Undertown Market."

Natalia practically glowed as she realized what I meant. "I will alert the others. We will move on the Market immediately." She hung up and started dialing numbers.

"What is it?" Schaeffer asked softly, confused.

"The witch needs more supplies for the curse," I explained. "There are plenty of places in Chicago where you could find stuff for spells, but at this time of night, there's only one place you could find all of it. And they happened to be heading that way when they broke the tracking spell."

Schaeffer nodded. "The Undertown Market."

I nodded as well. "Looks like we're going shopping."

* * *

In downtown Chicago, just inside the northern end of the Loop, there's a busy city block with several buildings clustered together, sporting dozens of chain stores, specialty shops, restaurants, pubs, and even a hotel. Unlike other blocks that have exterior facing shops, this one also has an entire multi-story indoor mall. Some of the shops are for tourists; others are strictly for a local client base. The building is beside a stop for the elevated tracks, and has subway access beneath the lower level.

But beneath all of that, conveniently tucked away in forgotten places, lives the Undertown Market.

Undertown isn't necessarily just one place. It's a collection of places all across the city. Most are linked together one way or another. Some are isolated islands, where surrounding renovations have left pockets of cozy dens. Others are nothing more than rarely-visited sewers, whose occupants keep things running smoothly to prevent humans from traipsing about. And should the occupants get hungry, they can always clog a pipe to order in a maintenance worker or two.

One of the most well kept places in Undertown is the Market. It's in an abandoned level of the same mall that sits above. When the city renovated the subway lines, their idea for a level of subterranean stores was abandoned. In time, the entire project was forgotten, closed off behind concrete walls.

But just because humanity might have forgotten about something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Ten minutes and a phone-call after we'd realized where the witch was most likely headed, a number of us made our way through the tunnels to the Undertown Market.

It's easy as long as you know which Subway stop to visit, and then which tunnel to take. There's a door no-one uses, that most assume is locked, that leads further down. A few twists and turns later, you find yourself at one of nearly a dozen entrances to the Market.

The place isn't well lit. There are lights where shop owners want lights; if they don't want to sell to anyone or anything that can't see in the dark, there's no lights. Some vendors sell out of nothing more than a pilfered street cart. Others have stands where they sell wares over the counter. A few have full stores you can browse in, but don't even think about shop-lifting; almost all of them have several layers of natural and unnatural security, and aren't squeamish about taking a blood price for any offense.

"Where do we start?" Natalia asked, looking to Winema. Our party had joined up and headed down together. The hedge witch was busy copying things down. When she finished, she looked up, holding the paper.

"Here are the things that were in the bag," she said breathlessly. "I can cast a copying spell that will copy the list to another page, and then it'll create two more. But we'll need to get them to the others—" she said, but Natalia snatched the paper from her hand and looked it over.

A second later, she removed her cell phone and took a picture. Winema looked bewildered as the vampire typed away at an incredible speed. After a few seconds, she hit send, and handed the page back to the witch.

"Picture message," I explained to the witch as Natalia started walking away, leading her team of foot soldiers. Winema just turned to me and nodded dumbly, the idea of using technology a foreign idea to a hedge witch who's powers were too much for most gadgets to survive long.

We started making our way through the Undertown Market, sweeping over every stall, as other teams made their way in from the other entrances.

The problem with the Market is that it's fairly large, with multiple hallways and branches that circle back around. There's a main thoroughfare with a lot of shops, but no single open floorspace you can walk through and see everything. Which meant that we had to leave several men at each entrance, watching for the Dapper twins as they came or went.

We made our way through the tunnels. Each guard and vamp showed their list to each vendor, inquiring if anyone had purchased the items that evening. With each negative answer, we grew more worried, while also tightening the net.

I was sticking close to a guard named Hennesy, who seemed like a big enough fellow that I could hide behind if bad things started happening. The big guy might have been irritated by my shadowing his steps, but it meant that I heard it first hand when someone reported on their radio that they'd found a seller.

"Confirmed sale to three individuals matching the description," a guard said. He gave his location, and the rest of us made for the seller.

As I cut through the crowd, a familiar face appeared.

"There ye are," Bailey huffed, his long Fear Dearg snout twitching agitatedly. "I've been lookin' all over for ye."

I sighed in relief at the sight of him. I'd called Q before we'd set out for the Market, hoping he'd be able to reach the Fear Dearg and get him there in time.

The Fear Dearg are beings of faerie. The one I knew favored red vests and bowler caps, but while the color was a personal taste, the ensemble wasn't. The Dearg were somewhat related to Leprechauns, although they seemed equally related to giant sewer rats.

As a race, they all sported long snouts that resembled a rodent's rather than something humanoid. Their eyes were a little too beady, and their ears large and pointed. Bailey had started to keep his nails fairly well trimmed since I'd met him, but they were reminiscent of claws. He'd also started combing his hair and thin gray body fur.

It wasn't that I'd instilled some sense of cleanliness or hygiene in him. I'd simply told him that most people and things would be more willing to haggle and sell if they weren't so busy trying to escape his stench. As a sound business practice, it made sense to the Fear Dearg, although he still wasn't what I'd call fresh.

His long this tail lashed in an agitated fashion as he cut me off. "We agreed I'd have him fer the week," he grumbled as an orange and red salamander leapt from his shoulder to mine.

Sal, who was aptly named by yours truly at a young age, was a fire elemental. While he resembled your typical salamander, the natural breed didn't typically spit fire or grow to the size of a doberman when they got mad.

I stroked the chin of the small amphibian, who's pleased trill seemed louder than usual.

"Sorry," I told the Fear Dearg, who's face was scrunched up in what he'd call a furious scowl, but really just made him look rabid. "Something's come up, and I need backup."

The little guy, who was over a foot shorter than me, seemed to somehow be looking down disapprovingly at me as he fished Sal's snakewood box from one of his infinite vest pockets and passed it to me. "Well, don't expect me te pay the full amount."

"That's between you two," I said. "You're paying him, not me."

"But I thought ye wanted the Mímameiðr wood?" he asked, confused.

"What? No, Sal wants it," I explained. "Q told him it was fire resistant and incredibly durable. He wants to make a new box." I waived the small snakewood box, no bigger than a pack of cigarettes. "I just wanted to buy more fire crystals from you."

The Fear Dearg was the friend who I'd seen using magically crafted crystals as weapons. He had originally bought them from others, but when he learned how to make them himself, he'd started supplying me. He'd hired Sal to help him fuel fire crystals, and the salamander had been staying with him for a few days.

"If you want, you can have him back tomorrow," I assured the Fear Dearg as I stepped around him to catch up with the others.

A pleading trill sounded in my ear, and I shot a startled glance at the little salamander. I couldn't understand him like Q claimed, but I'd learned to pick up a meaning here or there. "That is, if we survive," I added. The thought that he might perish before resuming his time with Bailey seemed to relieve the salamander.

"But what about me crystals?!" Bailey shouted as he chased after me. "The one we were workin' on aren't finished! They won't last the night!"

"I'll contact you tomorrow!" I assured him as he gave up the chase.

"Bloody shitehawk!" he called after me. "Ye better do me right!"

Sal gave another relieved trill as Bailey fell behind, and I gave him a worried glance. "You know you don't have to stay with him. We can work something else out."

The salamander shook himself, like a dog drying after a bath. I took it to mean he was trying to put the experience of living with Bailey behind him.

Sal clung tight to my jacket as I ran, and a minute later we were at the Mr. Whisker's booth.

A cat-girl turned out to be the seller. She wasn't actually part cat — I don't think — but she dressed up like one, and supposedly worked for a malk. Since none of the dangerous denizens of Undertown messed with the girl, I assumed the malk was not to trifled with.

Said malk wasn't present when I arrived, but Natalia and the others had just finished questioning the girl. Anya was there and glanced my way, and then turned and headed down another tunnel as the others all fanned out.

"They're here," Natalia hissed, her eyes looking around. "They apparently have most of what they need. According to the girl, the only person that has the oils she needs is a gargoyle. His shop is somewhere that way."

She took off, blindingly fast, with the guards trailing after her.

"Are you talking about Grend?" I asked the cat girl.

She just nodded, her cat ear headband bobbing up and down.

"Wait, I know where it is," I shouted after the others. "There's a faster way!"

If the guards heard me, they didn't let it be known. They continued on after the vampire, leaving me alone and cursing.

With a shake of my head, I took off the other way, as Sal climbed down into the outer breast pocket of my jacket and into his snakewood box.

I'd met Grend several years earlier. He looked exactly like you'd imagine a gargoyle to look like. He was also one of the rare supernatural creatures that could lie through their stone teeth. He was a fierce haggler, in that he took so long to speak that you'd end up just giving him what he wanted to cut the conversation ten minutes short.

Grend preferred privacy for his business, and had located his shop down an abandoned tunnel. He had a large storage space to himself, but getting there meant journeying down a convoluted path. That was where Natalia and the others were headed.

But as we'd grown acquainted, Grend confided in me that there was a faster way to his shop. Not many people knew about it because the gargoyle had built it himself with his proficiency at earth magics. If you knew which column to slide around, and which blind corner to back blindly down, you could get there several minutes faster.

Sal and I darted around the sparse crowd of night-time buyers and sellers, while the salamander trilled a warning to those who weren't moving fast enough. He seemed to be having fun, and I figured I'd need to tell him just how deep I was up shit's creek before too long.

In no time, we were in the secret path leading to Grend's place. After a jump over a gaping hole above subway tracks and a shimmy around a narrow ledge over a sewer junction, we found ourselves at the metal door that opened onto his tunnel. When I pushed it open and stepped out, I saw the familiar stone counter where Grend sold his products only a few paces away.

Standing in front of said counter was the Dapper Woman and the witch, both of which turned my way as I skidded to a stop.

Standing much closer to me, his arm flickering as he brought his razor sharp sword to my throat, was the Dapper Man.

"Well, well, well," he said, his Hispanic accent making him sound friendly. His smile was bright and wide as I froze, barely stopping in time to keep from decapitating myself. "You survived."

His smile darkened as it turned into a sneer.

"Allow me to correct that."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sal growled at the Red Court vampire holding a blade to my throat, but thankfully didn't move. If he had, I would have been a head shorter by the time his tail cleared my pocket.

I felt the blade begin to put pressure on my throat, and couldn't even hope to say anything to get the Dapper vampire to spare my life. It's hard to talk your way out of things when doing so will result in the very thing you're trying to avoid.

Luckily, I'm a nice guy, and tend to make friends.

"Excuse me," a slow, grumbling voice said. It took about twice as long to say it as it normally would, but when you're a walking, talking stone monster, you tend to take your time.

The Dapper vampire frowned, but at least the pressure eased from my throat. The blade was a still a hair's breath away, but it was progress. "What is the holdup?" the vampire asked over his shoulder.

"Are you here to buy oils, or kill good customers?" the gargoyle rumbled slowly. His stony eyes were pointed our way. "That one pays on time."

The female vampire made a disapproving sound in her throat, and her own sword whipped out. The blade ended up against Grend's throat as she said, "Mind your tongue before I take it."

I smiled as the gargoyle turned to face her, rubbing his stony neck against the blade. It made a screeching sound, like nails on a chalkboard. "Kindly remove your sword," he said like sand dripping from an hour glass, "unless you are planning to pay with it."

The Dapper female vampire blinked, and withdrew the sword. The gargoyle glanced at the thin blade, his stone eyes unblinking. "Pity. It looked liked a nice one."

"Just get us the oils," the male vampire snapped.

"Please," the witch pleaded, looking between Grend and the male vampire. "Do as he says."

The woman's voice surprised me. The first thing I noticed was the accent. It had a distinct islands cadence, from somewhere in the Caribbean. Based on her clothing, which looked like something an authentic hoodoo practitioner would wear, I was guessing she was from out of town. Winema was probably spot on with her guess that the witch practiced Haitian vodou.

The second thing I noticed was the terror lacing her words.

This witch wasn't working with the vampires; she wasn't even working _for_ them. I saw that the female vampire was holding one of the witch's arms tight, making sure she didn't stray too far. The woman was cowering away from her, as if afraid she might be struck any moment.

The witch we'd been hunting all night was just as much a captive of this situation as I was. More so, even.

"I will provide you with oils," Grend said, turning to the woman. "For their value, and that customer's life," he added, slowly nodding toward me.

In a flash, the blade at my throat was gone, and the male vampire moved several feet away.

"Very well," he said with a bright smile. "I will forgo killing him for the duration of this transaction, and one hour hence. I'm sure an opportunity will present itself again," he said, with a slight nod to me.

"Thanks," I rasped out, rubbing my neck as I considered commissioning a Balaur leather choker.

"My pleasure," the Dapper Man said, bowing slightly. He looked over one shoulder. "Please, good Grend, retrieve the oils."

The gargoyle nodded, and disappeared into the room behind the half wall. His steps were slow and sure, and gave me time to try and think of something.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, drawing the man's attention back.

"Did they not tell you?" he replied, cocking an eyebrow. "Tsk-tsk, wizard. You should never get involved in things which you do not know about."

"I'm not a _wizard_ ," I said tiredly. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" Sal looked up from the pocket, as if he were wondering the same.

The man cocked his head to the side, his lips curling into a curious smile. "Is that so? Well then, my apologies."

"So tell me what this is about," I said. There was time to kill at the rate Grend was moving, which I could tell was slower than normal. Maybe his delaying tactic would work, it could only take the others so long to reach us.

"It's about honor," the vampire said, his tone turning serious. "The half-born are playing games, and their games cost our lives. They would use us as cats paws, weakening the mortals for them to gain advantage should we fail. Now it's there turn to be used."

"But what does this gain?" I asked. "All you're doing is killing a handful of them."

He shook his head sadly. "You understand so little. Mortals so rarely bother looking past the present to the future. But I suppose your kind struggles to understand what's before you; how could you possibly hope to understand that which is beyond?"

I frowned. "I get that you're trying to blackmail the White Court," I said. "But last I checked, they answer to a King. I don't see what blackmailing a handful of their Chicago people will accomplish."

"Are you really that ignorant?" he asked, perplexed. "Lara Raith is the daughter of their King, and considered by many to be the second most powerful of their line. Others might say she's even more than that," he said cryptically.

"Lara," I said, recognizing the name. "I think one of the others mentioned that name. So you think you can force her hand by killing the others?"

"No," he said, his smile widening. "The others do not matter. They simply serve as a countdown until we use _her_ vial. Either she will join us, or she will die."

Oh shit.

If this Lara person was as high up in the White Court as he claimed, and he really did have a sample from her, then the threat was credible. They'd proven that several times over. If mortals hate dying, then immortals despise it. The longer you live, the longer you want to stick around.

What would this Lara Raith be willing to do to stay alive?

"The war," I whispered, finally understanding what all of this was about. "You're trying to blackmail her into joining the war."

I might have been late to the game, but everyone knew that the White Council of Wizards and the Red Court were at war. From what I'd heard, it was all because of the Wizard. Of that I had no doubt, considering what I knew of him.

The war had been raging for years. Olivia had told me what she'd heard about it, back when another family in the White Court had made a play for power, all to change the guard and take a more active roll in supporting the Reds. Supposedly that had been foiled by the Wizard, too. The White Court was staying out of it; something that the Reds were clearly resentful of.

"See? Perhaps your kind is not so hopeless after all," the vampire said with a pleased smile. "By the dawn, either the White Court will declare their allegiance to us, and join in the fight; or their heir apparent will die, leaving the throne open to someone more accommodating to our cause. Either way, we win."

My mind struggled to grasp the magnitude of this. I'd thought this was simply some vendetta or quibble between supernatural factions. That this D'Argento had pissed someone off, and they were taking vengeance. Or that someone was simply trying to increase their holdings in Chicago, at the cost of the White Court.

I hadn't known exactly who's lives were at stake, and what it might mean for the balance of power in the supernatural world.

And I began to get a sinking suspicion as to just who 'Ms. D'Argento' really was.

"I recommend you recuse yourself from events," the vampire said. "There's no point in losing your life over a battle already lost."

"Or what? You'll burn me alive?" Sal began to growl at the suggestion, and I had to hope that he didn't start something I couldn't finish.

The vampire blinked, before bursting into laughter. "Burn _you?_ How would we do that?"

It was my turn to be surprised. "With the spell. The hoodoo."

"Are you so averse to love?" he asked through his laughter. "If so, then perhaps you are in the right company after all."

"I have returned with oils," Grend rumbled, returning to the window with three stone jars. He placed them on the counter.

"Pay him," the male vampire said, turning back. "Pay the good gargoyle, and we will be on our way."

The female vampire placed a sack on the counter. The gargoyle slowly picked it up, weighing it. After a second, he untied the string, and carefully dumped several thin gold bars back out. The vampire snatched them back up while the witch picked up the jars and placed them in a bag she was carrying.

"Let's go," the female vampire said, pulling the witch along.

"No," the male vampire said, his gaze casting over my shoulder at the hidden door. "Those we left behind are most likely being overrun. We will go this way."

The man nodded politely as he stepped past me, and I stepped away as the female vampire whipped her sword toward me, keeping me back. The Dapper Man held the steel door open for the others, and they disappeared around the bend.

The male vampire started following, and I desperately tried to figure out how I could stop them. I didn't stand a chance of dueling them. Not with their speed.

As I was trying to think of how I could delay them, the male vampire turned back.

"Out of curiosity, how did you survive?" he asked. He really was polite, for a stone cold killer.

"Survive what? The attack in the basement? You were there," I said.

"No, not at the mansion," he said, frowning. "How did you survive the grunches and Puechen?"

"The what?" I asked, not recognizing the names.

"Didn't you cast that spell?" he asked, frowning slightly. "The one that led them to the mansion?"

"No, that was—" I said, before ice water ran through my veins.

"Oh," he said, sounding disappointed. "My mistake. I thought that it was you. I'd wondered how you'd survived; I assumed your new friends had helped, but doubted their ability to survive something like the Puechen."

"The what?" I whispered. "The grunch and pooch?"

"I wouldn't worry about it," he said, shrugging. "Just be glad you weren't the one that cast that spell."

I stared after him as he turned to leave, my heart frozen in fear.

The witch could sense when someone cast spells at her. She had sent a spell at the dowsing rods when they'd begun their search for supplies. They'd sensed the spell that led us to them earlier, and laid a trap. And once it had been sprung, they'd apparently sent something so formidable that the Dapper Man had been surprised I'd survived even with the help of mortal warriors and immortal vampires.

But they hadn't been sent after me.

They'd been sent after Olivia.

I brought my hands together, crossing them briefly as I whispered two things under my breath. The first thing was to Sal; the second left my left-hand fingers tingling from a slight use of power.

After that, my right hand dipped into my inner jacket, reaching for the Beretta. As I withdrew it, I ran at the vampire, who spun around like lightning and seized my arm before it cleared the jacket.

I managed to collide into him, grabbing with my left hand. The Dapper vampire scowled as I mussed his tie, and showed his frustration by wrenching my right arm out and around. I grunted in pain, and then gasped for that breath back as his other hand closed around my neck and slammed me into the wall.

"Your word," Grend said, thankfully short on syllables. The seething vampire twisted his head around, staring daggers at the gargoyle. "You paid with his life."

"Very well," the Dapper Man rasped, turning entirely black eyes to me. His grin returned in all its wickedness. "I will not kill him."

Instead, he broke my right arm.

I screamed, and fell to the ground as soon as he released me. Sal leapt from my pocket, growling, but remained at his small size. He watched as the vampire walked away, his laughter haunting me as he strolled through the steel door, pulling it shut behind him.

I cradled my arm to my chest, fighting back tears. It was a hard thing to manage, because in that moment, I felt like a complete failure.

Well, not complete. But if anything had happened to Olivia, my little slight of hand wouldn't mean shit.

"Are you alright?" Grend rumbled from his counter. I managed to look up at him. My breath was seething through my clenched teeth as I tried to prevent myself from whimpering in pain.

"You have anything to help this?" I managed to gasp out. Sal sat beside me, looking somewhat upset. I whispered to him softly, "You did good, buddy."

"Not quickly," the gargoyle responded.

I rocked in place on the stone floor. For some reason we always seem to think rocking will make things better. Maybe its left over from our days in the crib. Maybe our subconscious mind tries to put us into a comforting motion in our most painful moments. Or maybe we just need to do something other than sit still and suffer.

"Tell me you did something," I gasped, and managed to look up at him again. Staring at what I assumed was part of my forearm jabbing into my jacket sleeve wasn't doing me any good.

"Something?" he grumbled, a slight lilt to his voice.

"Tell me, Grend," I begged, needing some hope to cling to.

"They asked for oils," he said with a glacier-like shrug. "I sold them oils."

"Damn it," I said, sitting back against the wall.

"I did not like them," he rumbled, his deep voice somehow soothing. "I did not like how they treated that woman."

"Yeah, they're kind of assholes," I said, pinching my eyes shut as my desperate laugh turned into a pained whimper.

"I did a bad thing," Grend said softly, which means his voice didn't shake the walls around him.

"It's okay, Grend," I told him. "You only did your job."

"No," he sighed, "I did not."

My eyes rose back to him, as a flutter of something resembling hope stirred in my chest. "What do you mean?"

"They asked for oils," he said, sounding ashamed. "I sold them oils." He sighed, his guilty conscience weighing on him like a landslide. "But not the oils they asked for."

A small titter escaped, followed by another. In a matter of seconds, I was rasping out a belly-shaking laugh that jostled my arm and made gasp. Sal just looked panicked, as if I'd gone insane.

"It is not funny, Woodrow," the gargoyle grumbled. "I am trying to be better."

The reason why it was so funny was because Grend had a serious lying problem.

He didn't lie. I wasn't sure if he could. But he did it all the same. Some called it 'speaking Fae'; others would insist that the fault lay on those not paying enough attention.

Grend tended to let people assume things. It was something he'd picked up from some Sidhe that made a deal with him. He'd been taken by her, and became fascinated with the slippery tongue of the Fae. He'd been doing it for years in some vain attempt at proving others were just as gullible as he had been. And although he'd long ago realized that being tricked by a Sidhe was nothing to be ashamed of, he found he couldn't stop himself. It had become a very bad habit.

A few years back, just before I'd met him, he'd sold Bailey a feather from a phoenix. Bailey had asked if he had any more, hoping to buy all of them to prevent others from pursuing his quarry. According to Bailey, Grend had denied having any more. But when pressed, Grend said that he'd told Bailey, "I only have the one to sell _you_."

To Bailey, it was a lie. To Grend, it was hedging the truth, as the others were reserved for other paying customers. I could appreciate both opinions.

I thought back on the conversation I'd heard between him and the vampires, and realized that Grend had never said anything about _what_ oils he was selling them; he'd only said he was selling them oils. My bet was that he'd even dumped the difference in price out of the money sack, and they hadn't asked why.

"It didn't happen to be snake oil, did it?" I wheezed, unable to hold back a laugh. Sal sniffed at that, and glanced at the gargoyle.

"No," Grend rumbled.

"Will they be able to use it for what they wanted?" I asked.

"I doubt it," he groaned like gravel, disappointed in himself. "The oils are quite the opposite of what they attempted to purchase."

"You're a genius, Grend," I said.

"I did not like them," he said, as if that explained everything.

"When will they realize it?" I asked, fighting to sit up. "When they go to use them?"

"Yes," he said.

"Okay," I said, nodding. "Grend, I would like to buy all of the oils they wanted to purchase."

"Why?"

"Because they can't succeed in their plans," I told him. "Do what you have to; destroy them if need be. But don't let them come back and take them."

"Okay." He started to move away.

"Wait, Grend," I called, and he turned back. "Is there anywhere else they can get those oils?"

The gargoyle seemed to consider the question. "One of them. Maybe. But not the other two. Not quickly."

"Okay," I said, pushing myself up. "Dispose of the oils they wished to purchase from you, in a fashion which will make them unusable, and I will bring you compensation as soon as I can."

"We are agreed," he said, nodding. Then he disappeared into the shadows of his shop. A moment later, the walls around the window started rolling, until nothing was left to indicate the shop had been there. Grend is good with earth magics. If the vampires returned, they'd find nothing but blank wall.

Sal scrambled up my side to stand upon my left shoulder. I managed to get my broken arm stabilized long enough to retrieve the gun I'd dropped. After tucking it away into its holster, I stumbled to my feet, and made it about two dozen yards down the main tunnel before I ran into Natalia and the others. Just before they appeared, Sal darted down my front, disappearing into his box in my pocket.

"What happened to you?" Natalia hissed, looking at my arm. She was looking harried herself.

"Vampires," I said. I looked her over. "What happened to you?"

"Vampires," she said, cracking a surprising smile.

The cape she'd been wearing over her shoulders was gone, revealing her muscular arms. Several new tears and rends had appeared in the leathers she wore, and pale blood dribbled from the wounds beneath. Her braid had come partially undone, and there was a smattering of red blood all across her, most likely from whatever she'd run into.

Those with her were in similar condition. The mortal guards looked banged up, and the other vamps had a bright sheen to their skin. I watched as a wound healed on one male vampire's face, his eyes burning like silver candles as it did.

"What happened? Did they get the items they needed?" Natalia asked as Anya came running up with more familiar guards.

"They think they did," I replied. "They're going to be disappointed."

Natalia sighed in relief, as did the others.

"I need a ride," I said, trying to stand up straight.

"Why?" the vampire asked, suddenly cautious.

"They sent something after Olivia," I explained. "I need to see if she's okay."

I wasn't hopeful. To be honest, I was doing my best to hold it together. Too much time had passed from when they would have sent something after her. And with a broken arm, I wasn't sure what good I would do her even if she was still alive.

My eyes fell on Anya, and an idea flitted across my brain.

"I need Schaeffer, Dillon, and Anya," I said, standing up straight and willing the pain away. "And we need to leave now."

"Tell me more about the oils and the vampires," Natalia countered. It seemed she wasn't willing to take my word on the matter.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I'll tell you on the way back to the vehicles. But we leave now, and we leave at super sonic vampire speeds so I can get to her as soon as possible. Or I say nothing, and you can hope to God I'm telling the truth."

The vampire's eyes flashed in fury, and I wondered if I'd overstepped again. In a sense, I was blackmailing her, making me no better than the Reds. But I convinced myself I was doing it for a good cause.

"Very well," she hissed, her thundering eyes flashing silver and chrome. "Speak clearly, and try not to scream the entire way."

Before I could ask what she meant, she seized me, and then we were gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

We got back to the vehicles in record time. I also set a world record for best brief summary punctuated by agonized screams.

Once we were there, Dillon and Schaeffer climbed in front and headed for Olivia's apartment. Anya climbed in back with me, while Natalia remained to coordinate with the others still in the Market.

"Get ou your phone and dial this number," I told Anya as I passed her Stallings' number. "Put it on speaker." While it was ringing, I nodded toward my jacket. "Help me get this off."

I happened to be screaming when the Lieutenant picked up.

"Hayes?" he asked, startled.

"Stallings," I gasped. "Red Court… vampires are attacking… the apartment building… we were at earlier. Get someone there."

"What—" he began, but I ended the call as I took the phone from Anya. I immediately punched in my home number. When the call connected, I spoke into the silence.

"Q," I managed, my words broken as I winced in pain. "Get to… Olivia's now. Reds sent… something after her. I'll meet… you there. Cops… are inbound."

The goblin grumbled something before hanging up.

I knew Q wouldn't hesitate to head toward a fight. Whether it was from a sense of urgency at helping a friend and co-worker that helped him sell his magical constructs to mortals, or the excitement of finally getting to use his new swords in combat, I couldn't know. It didn't really matter to me. He was probably upset that the police might interfere with any fun.

"Now the shirt," I hissed once the jacket and gun holster were off. The shirt went smoother, since Anya just tore the sleeve of that arm open, letting me slide it off.

"Now what?" she asked, her eyes focused on my arm. I was wrong about the bone; it hadn't broken skin, but was definitely pointing in the wrong direction.

"Set it," I said, biting down on the sleeve of my jacket.

The vampire didn't hesitate. Her hands moved quickly, and the next thing I knew, I was screaming. My vision wavered, but after a few agonizing moments, I was able to catch my breath as I dialed another number. Olivia's phone rang and rang, and eventually went to voicemail. I hit redial, but she didn't pick up.

"Keep dialing," I said as I tossed the phone forward toward Schaeffer. He caught it and nodded. I turned to Anya. "Okay. Next," I said, panting for breath.

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"This… is going… to sound weird," I hissed through my breath, looking to her. "Kiss me."

Her eyes widened, burning the brightest silver I'd seen, before she blurred into motion. I couldn't even track the movements. One second she was beside me in her leather jacket; the next, she had shrugged it off, leaving her upper body naked and beautiful as she straddled my lap and brought us together.

Wait. Let me explain.

This might sound like I'd gone completely nuts. That I'd just signed my death warrant by asking a White Court vamp to feed on me.

The truth was, with a broken arm, I wasn't going to do Olivia any good. My hope was that Q or the cops could get there and help if I couldn't. If not them, then maybe Anya and the guards would fulfill a dying wish and help the girl.

But I was hoping that my observation from earlier was right. That by feeding on me, Anya had somehow drawn the power of the golden apple seed to the surface. Whatever it was that made me drunkenly delicious to her had also left me feeling healthy and fresh. Injuries that would have taken days to heal even with the seed were gone in a few minutes.

I don't know if Anya thought I'd given up. It didn't matter. When she kissed me, she hit me with everything she had.

Let me assure you. A fraction of a second after her lips hit mine, my pain was a distant memory.

I've had some experience with women. Not a lot; I'm not some playboy that hooks up with everything in sight. With the exception of the one girl in college and the one straddling my lap, I'd known all of my sexual partners before I jumped in the sack with them. Even my current would-be girlfriend, a Lampad that may or may not have been a Greek nymph with an exotic appetite, was more than a passing acquaintance by the time we'd started sleeping together.

But none of them, be it high school sweethearts, college co-eds, or Greek nymphs, held a candle to a White Court kiss.

I found myself adrift on an ocean of pleasure. I couldn't even describe it. Every cell in my body was alive with passion as she wrapped me in her warm embrace. I suppose I could feel her body writhing against me. Her breasts pressed to my chest, her hips thrusting against mine with an urgent need. Our lips moved together as our tongues wound around each other, our breath mingling as one.

But it was more than just physical. It was as if part of me was joining with part of her. Some intangible spirits of ours blending together. I suppose that was the point; that she was tearing something from me. That she was taking my life force for herself.

Knowing that, I can tell you it didn't matter. I'm not going to lie. If I'm ever sure my ticket is due to be punched, I'm going to do my best to make sure it's punched by someone like Anya.

I lost track of time. I lost track of the world. It was only a few minutes from the Market to her apartment building, and I'd spent the first couple making calls. But it felt like a lifetime. Which, I suppose, is what it would have been if I hadn't eaten that apple seed.

"MAM!" someone shouted, apparently not for the first time, and Anya pulled back. Our eyes locked together, mine probably as wide as hers. Her skin was glowing, causing the tattoo to shine with a bright silver light as it wound around her. Her chest was heaving from excitement and pleasure, her fingers coiling through my hair.

But it was her eyes that drew me in. Eyes like silver moons, seeming to swirl with power and light as I experienced my first ever soulgaze.

From what I'd been told, a soulgaze is something only true practitioners have to deal with. When a mortal has power, they have the ability to use something called the Sight to see the truth of the world around them. A soulgaze is similar; but instead of seeing the hidden world of magic, a soulgaze lets you see the truth of the other person.

Anya's eyes were like a whirlpool of quicksilver, with forms taking shape within the spinning ripples. I couldn't understand all of it, but I knew that I was seeing her. Seeing the sum of her life.

I saw a young girl, beautiful with long dark hair. It was from before the tattoos and the piercings, from before the rebellious youth grew from the innocent child. She was perhaps fifteen, on the cusp of finding love.

There was another girl. Another beauty, this one a blond with curls. I saw the two of them together, holding hands, sharing their first kiss. The flush to their cheeks as they let their feelings grow, their attraction to one another more than just a passing phase or curiosity.

I saw a shadow pass over them, and then the blond was gone. The young Anya was left alone, mourning beside a tombstone as dark clouds gathered. A man appeared, older, pale and beautiful. His lips moved, but I couldn't hear his words. All I could see was Anya's reaction to them; the hate that filled her eyes as she looked to him, a suspicion lurking in their depths.

And then another shadow passed, and I watched as Anya grew older. I saw her with others, boys and girls alike. I saw them come and go, with varying degrees of interest as they played out the game of courtship. I saw Anya grow close to some, but never fully share herself with any.

The shadow flickered, time and time again. Each time Anya began to grow too close with one, something would happen. Something that would drive them away, leaving Anya alone. And I saw her suspicious eyes turn toward the looming shadow of her father, knowing that he was responsible.

I saw the innocent girl become rebellious. Resistant to the shadow's wishes. Defiant in some manner I couldn't understand. There was something the shadow wanted; something it wanted the girl to do. But Anya refused.

And then, the darkest shadow. A man appeared, his face unfamiliar, his shadow not his own. He tried to take something from Anya, something she would not give. Something she fought to keep.

But although Anya could fight the man, she could not fight the thing within her. The thing she'd denied for years, holding out hope for something more. The thing that overcame her will, and finally took what it wanted.

The man paid for his role in things, but it would never be enough. Not for Anya, and not for me, as I watched helplessly as the young girl became a monster against her will. A fate she'd fought against for years, forced upon her by the shadow that moved about her.

In that moment, I understood her struggle. Her inability to control herself around Olivia, and myself, stemmed from her fight against herself. The hunger that lurked constantly in her argent eyes. The hunger that she struggled with daily, the girl desperately resisting the monster within her. The struggle that had persisted for a handful of years, but which the girl knew she could not win against in the centuries to come.

In time, she would lose. And then she would be like the rest of them. Cold. Cruel. Loveless. Detached from any sense of humanity, for they could no longer see themselves as human.

They were not monsters in the beginning. That came later, when they'd watched humanity grow old and wither around them. When they saw others have what they could not. Intimacy. Companionship.

Love.

That's what humanity had which the White Court didn't. That which they longed for, but could never have.

Love.

And then it was over.

Our surroundings snapped back as Anya fell away from me, sprawling across the seat beside me. My head spun as the world crashed back into place. I looked around, startled to find myself in the SUV.

We were parked. No longer moving. Cars did that. They moved. But we weren't. My mind began to reboot, and I realized that meant we were at our destination. Which had been Olivia's apartment. As I realized that, I noticed Dillon and Schaeffer were both turned around in their seats, their eyes wide and their mouths open as they stared at the vampire beside me. I took a glance.

Anya was curled up in a ball, tearing running down her face. Her stare was blank, unseeing, as she shivered uncontrollably. I wanted to hold her, comfort her. I couldn't know what she'd seen, but she seemed as raw and fragile as I felt. I wanted to tell her that I understood; that it was okay.

But there wasn't time. Olivia was in danger.

I grabbed for the sheathed rod and my jacket, feeling a slight twinge of pain from my right arm in the process. The flesh around where the break had occurred was bruised and livid, but my grip was firm enough. I was alive and somewhat healed. Enough to function, and hopefully help my friend.

I opened the door and ran toward the front of the building, leaving the three of them behind as I ran past the two squad cars parked out front.

As energized as I felt, I felt like I could have taken the stairs faster than the elevator could have moved. But some rational part of my mind reasoned that the elevator would give me time to put my jacket, holster, and gloves on. I'd left the helmet in the car, and my broken glasses wouldn't be much help. So I wouldn't be fully armored. The leathers would have to be enough.

When the elevator door opened, I ran down the hall at full tilt. I suppose part of me was hoping that I'd run to Olivia's door, and knock on it, only to find her healthy and whole, and bewildered at my ragged appearance.

But the bodies in the hallway made it seem unlikely.

I saw at least four people down, all of them dead. Their wounds were savage, the bloodstains arcing across the walls where their heart had pulsed until the last was gone.

I glanced at them, and all I noticed was that none of them were Olivia. All four wore police uniforms, but I didn't recognize any of them. Not that there was a lot to recognize for a couple.

When I reached Olivia's door, I saw that it had been kicked in. I snapped the command word for the short spear, extending the foot-long blade from the two-foot rod. Immediately on its heals was the illumination spell, which shed bright light into every shadow.

I charged into the apartment, short spear in one hand and Beretta in the other.

Maybe not the most sound strategy, considering what I would likely be facing. But it ended up working out.

Inside her living room were three Red Court vampires and one of the creatures that the Dapper vampire had been talking about. The vampires didn't look human; they had the same alien appearance as the ones I'd faced earlier, but they weren't the raving monsters. There was an intelligence in their dark eyes as they swiveled their gaze toward me. I wondered if they were more like the Dapper twins, true Red Court vampires rather than blood slaves.

Two of the vamps were already down; one dead, and the other in bad shape. The light from the spear burned at all three of their grotesque bodies, setting them ablaze. I swung the spear at the belly of the healthy one, and followed it up with a second swing across it's throat. As it was falling back, I shoved the spear into the belly of the one trying to rise, and twisted it aside, leaving a trail of gore across Olivia's coffee table. The third just caught fire, unmoving.

Their movements had been somewhat languid, as if they were pushing against some force. I didn't stop to consider it at the time, and instead turned toward the creature, hoping that the light would affect it the same as the vamps. But other than some minor discomfort, the beast looked to be un-fazed.

I wasn't sure what to call it. It was the size of a medium sized dog, and had some similar traits. The body shape was canine, if a little thick in the fore-shoulders. It's head was more tapered like a wolf or fox, except for the mouth, which resembled that of the blood slaves. It had long bat-like ears, and spines jutted from its back. It's paws looked more like those velociraptor feet from the Jurassic Park franchise, with huge talons curling in front.

I suppose the most disturbing thought was that it had been snacking on the dead vampire when I came in. Only after the body had burst into flames did its attention shift to me.

It flinched at the light, but emitted a deep growl that shook my chest. It circled around, standing before the door to Olivia's bedroom. I stood ready with the spear and the gun, unsure which would be more likely to hurt the damned thing.

When it leapt at me, I erred on the side of caution, and used both.

Three rounds dipped in holy water hit it in the head and chest before my spear thrust at it. To my surprise, the bullets hurt it, splattering black blood through the air. But they didn't slow it down, and my spear thrust — I probably shouldn't have been using my right arm — had almost no strength behind it. The tip pierced the thing's chest, but the weight of it drove me back. I ended up on my ass, using the spear to hold the beast back from my throat.

Its claws tore at my arms and chest, the Balaur leather the only thing keeping me from being shredded to pieces. Its head kept lunging at me, its bat-like teeth snapping faster than should have been physically possible. I fired the rest of the magazine into its side, but it didn't make much headway in killing it. I pushed with the spear, keeping it just far enough from reaching my exposed head with tooth or claw, while I struggled to think of something.

While I was so intent on that one, its twin slowly crept from the bedroom door, making its way around.

I stared at it, blinking surprise. It seemed a little unfair, really. How was I supposed to take on two of these things, when one was enough to pin me to the floor? Nine holy bullets and an enchanted blade hadn't done anything to the first one.

I suppose it's situations like this that makes me grateful for Sal.

Before the other monster could close on me, the salamander scrambled from my pocket. In an instant, he grew to the size of a doberman, the air swirling around him as he drew in magical energy to increase his size. By the time he landed on the creature, he was twice its size, and covered in flames.

The stench of burning dog hit my nostrils as the creature howled. Seeing Sal working it over got my brain working again, and I swapped spells.

"Saiwa-nasta!" I growled, making the spearhead shift from a bright silver white light to a red-hot glow. The beast over me howled, and tried to retreat. I thrust at it, sinking the burning blade into its chest. It thrashed at me, its claws tearing at my coat as it raised up on its hind legs. One slash made it further than the others, and I felt a burning hot sensation as a talon ripped at my left cheek.

The pain was enough to make me retreat, and the dog-like monster twitched free of my short spear. I backed up to the wall, staring at the creature as it regained its feet. I felt like it should have been worse off for having had a red-hot blade deep in its chest, but as I watched, the wounds started to heal themselves.

"Fuck me," I whispered as the dog-like beast righted itself.

Commotion to the left drew both of our attentions, and the second dog's body was flung at the first, its skin blazing. The beast tried to duck aside, but it wasn't fast enough. They rolled together, with only one struggling to its feet after they came to a stop.

Sal leapt at the beast that I had been fighting, crashing into it with incredible force. His claws and teeth tore at it, ripping open gouges in its hide. Each smoked, as his body and claws were burning hot, and inflicting more wounds per second than I'd managed in my entire struggle with creature.

Motion to my right drew my eye, and I saw Anya arrive, her leather jacket thankfully back on, and her short swords in each hand. I motioned for her to hold off, to let Sal finish the beast like he had the first. But she darted toward me, just as the third creature flew from the bedroom.

Part of me recalled that the Dapper vamp had said two different things had been sent. And one of them had been pluralized, I was sure. That made the dog-like creatures the grunches, and the winged snake scorpion bat thing the pooch.

Anya drove me to the floor just as the flying snake struck, whipping through the space I'd just occupied. With entirely too much agility for a thing at least five feet in length, the pooch swirled to a stop in mid-air, its body curling around itself like a writhing snake, only leaving enough room for its membranous wings near its head to flap faster than a humming bird's. Another, smaller set vibrated toward the tip of its tail, cutting short anytime the snake coiled around itself.

Seeing us on the floor, it darted forward, but Anya rose to meet it. Her blades flashed in front of her, and the snake halted its strike. It hovered for a moment, looking for an opening. I managed to climb to one knee and readied my short spear, and saw Sal just before he leapt.

I don't know if I gave something away, or if the snake thing just had heightened senses and lightning fast reflexes. As Sal leapt, the snake twisted, twirling in the air to snap its tail around. The barbed scorpion stinger at the end didn't pierce Sal's burning hide, but the snake hit him with enough force to redirect him. Sal flipped over lengthwise as he tumbled straight at Anya and I.

The vampire tried to move, but she wasn't fast enough. She at least managed to get her blades out of the way, and didn't skewer my friend when he thudded into her.

My mind locked up for a second as I realized that I hadn't seen Anya moving at her incredible speeds since she entered the apartment. But then I realized that she hadn't been invited in, and was likely trying to overcome Olivia's warded threshold.

That thought made me realize two more things. The first was that Sal wasn't struggling with the threshold. He had a standing invitation to Olivia's place, as he'd been there almost as many times as I had. When she and the remaining members of the Ordo Lebes had constructed her wards, she'd made a specific effort to allow Sal and Q permission to enter.

But that meant that the two beasts he'd killed, and the one we couldn't seem to touch, were fighting against the threshold. And they were still That. Fucking. Powerful.

It's terrifying every time you're faced with just how weak you are. You can try and prepare yourself for it, but in the end, you're still left stunned when you see the awesome power on display by some supernatural creatures.

This flying snake was at its worst, and was still stronger and faster than Sal at his best.

So who could blame me for diving backwards as it made to come at me?

It was a good thing I did, or the several dozen rounds that Schaeffer and Dillon fired at the thing would have turned my head into swiss cheese.

The thing screamed as bullets tore into it. The two guards were in the doorway, firing in as it swirled around toward them. It darted forward, and I caught a glimpse of its barbed stinger just before it impaled Dillon through the heart.

The man hadn't even finished emptying his magazine before the killing blow. Schaeffer had just finished his when the tail flicked to the side, smashing the dead man against his partner with incredible force. Dillon's body slipped from the barb as he crashed into Schaeffer, and the two disappeared in the hallway.

And then the snake twirled in the air again, twisting back around to come at me.

My left hand reached blindly for my right wrist, removing a snap from memory and hoping I wasn't off on my count. Some were weapons; some weren't. Most of the offensive snaps would probably have been just as harmful to Anya and I in the enclosed space as it would the creature.

Thankfully, my aim was true, and as I shouted, "Helca-luth!", the snap hit the front of the flying snake. When it did, the entire front half of its body was suddenly encased in ice.

I fell to the side as the snake tumbled past, its fore-wings frozen stiff. The stinger scraped against my jacket, and the blow was enough to propel me across the room. I landed on the couch, so it could have been worse. Rebounding from the cushions, I spun around, waving the red-hot spearhead toward where the snake had landed.

Anya was up by then, as was Sal. The first ran forward and swiped a short sword at the barbed tail. The straight blade sunk into the flesh, but couldn't cut through the muscle. The snake spasmed, wrenching the blade from Anya's grasp.

I charged forward as it thrashed about, smashing itself into the drywall to try and break the ice. As its tail flipped past me, Anya's sword still wedged into it, I swung the red-hot blade. The enchanted weapon, reinforced by natural and unnatural means, sliced through the creature, severing its tail. But at the same time, the blow jarred me, and I felt my right arm crack as it re-broke.

I fell, losing my grip on the spear. As I grabbed at my arm, Anya darted forward and grabbed the shaft. Spinning it expertly, she struck at the beast again and again, lopping off the snake's smaller rear-wings and portions of its body. It lost what remaining flight capabilities it had, and flopped to the floor. With one final slash, Anya cut it just below where the ice had formed, severing it in two.

I watched the pieces of it flop about for another few seconds, until finally the creature grew still. Anya was panting with exhaustion, her arms trembling as she tried to keep the spear upright. I whispered the command, and the spearhead ceased its fiery glow.

The sound of running feet caused her to spin, and I looked to the door as another figure darted in, his own enchanted blades bare and ready for a fight.

The goblin standing there looked ferocious, his asymmetrical face twisted into a snarl. Glowing red eyes glanced over the room as the slim muscles of its bare arms flicked the silver swords back and forth. His skin looked like white marble infested with gangrene, but he was healthy and strong and tense with anticipation.

Q looked over the carnage, turning back and forth as he desperately looked for something to stab. When he realized there was nothing left, I heard him curse in Goblinese.

"Olivia," I rasped, and stumbled to my feet. The goblin I called my roommate and my friend had his blades sheathed and was passing into the bedroom before I was steady. I charged after him, and ran into him just inside the broken doorway.

The girl with the caramel skin was curled into a ball on the floor, surrounded by her blood.

It seemed like the crimson fluid was everywhere, but really it was concentrated on her side, and the double circle she'd drawn around herself.

The remnants of the door were scattered to either side of the circle. It looked as if the beasts had burst through, but found her enclosed and unreachable. Q tried to move forward again, but the circle was still empowered. My heart surged, as that meant that she must be still alive.

Shoving past him, I pushed my way through the invisible wall of her will. By breaking the circle, I opened it for the others, and they joined me around the girl. I lifted her carefully, trying to take a measure of her injuries. Anya reached out for her, and I saw her eyes glass over for a second.

When the punky vampire turned to me, there was a sympathetic look to her countenance. I tried to speak, but couldn't find the words. I looked down to Olivia as the vampire shook her had slowly, breaking my heart in the process.

"It's too late."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Olivia.

Dead.

I fumbled for her, my right arm grinding where the bone had re-broken. That didn't matter. None of it mattered. The White Court, the Reds, the wizards or the war. None of it mattered. How could it? My friend was dead for nothing more than being my friend. For answering my call, and doing what I could not.

She'd been blindsided. Been on the receiving end of a vicious attack meant for me. Faced three vampires and three monsters alone, and had still managed to kill one and wound another before fleeing to safety. Hell, she'd managed to get a circle around her, and it wasn't just a basic circle. She'd used her own blood to form a dual ringed minor circle. Smaller circles had been formed from smeared blood at five equidistant points within the double ring. Crude words had marked in blood between them, putting more power, more purpose into the protective spell.

She had done this, even as the monsters tore at her warded bedroom door. She had used her life blood to try and save her life. Only to die because I took too long getting there. Dead behind her own circle of power.

But no. That was impossible. Even a minor circle like this required life to power. It might not have required consciousness like the lesser circles I could create, but it would last as long as she lived.

And it had lasted until I'd pushed through it.

I fumbled for her, pressing fingers against her neck. I felt for a pulse, searching. I sobbed when I found it, and turned back to the vampire.

"She's alive," I rushed. "It's not too late. We can help her. We can—"

"I'm sorry," Anya insisted with a slow shake of her head. "She's too far gone. Medical aide will not help her now."

"No, you don't understand." I looked around, and realized Anya was still behind Olivia's threshold. "Q, take her into the hall."

"Woody—"

"No! Just do it!" I snapped, my voice filled with more desperation than anger.

The goblin responded, taking the girl into his marbled arms. Anya watched, shaking her head, as Q removed the girl from the room. I struggled to my feet, my arm beginning to grow worse. I simply panted through the pain. "Come on."

"Woody…" she said, but I turned back to her, and something in my eyes gave her pause.

"She has it," I said quickly, softly. "The thing that did this?" I said, brandishing what had been a somewhat healed arm. "She was exposed to the same thing."

Anya's eyes widened. "But how…" she trailed off, lost.

"I don't know how its happening, but when you feed on me, it's tapping the thing that we shared," I said. "It made it work faster than usual. If it worked for me, it might work for her."

The vampire rose and we quickly moved to the hallway. "But she's so weak," Anya protested. "Her heart might not survive even the initial feeding."

"Don't go deep," I pleaded. "Take it slow."

We found Q in the hallway with Olivia. He'd moved her past the bodies there, and found a clear space. I saw that others had joined him. Natalia was there, as were several guards. The field medic that I'd seen at the burnt out mansion moved past us, heading toward where Schaeffer and Dillon had been.

"Move," I said to some of the guards that were in the way. Hearing the tone of my voice, they did so, as did Q, and Anya and I sank to the floor on either side of the girl.

"Sister," Natalia said softly. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know," Anya responded, something foreign in her voice. To me it sounded something akin to worry, and fear, and maybe even a little hope.

The guards with the vampire were drawn away as more neighbors began to investigate what was happening in the hallway. They went to reassure the civilians that everything was under control. After a moment, Natalia went with them, persuading the more persistent with her power.

They left us alone to tend to the dying girl.

"Woody, my hunger…" Anya said, turning her pale eyes to me. "I don't know if I can be gentle enough. She's so weak."

"Start with me," I said, pulling her toward me over where Olivia lay. "And then add her."

I couldn't be sure that what I was asking was possible. I'd heard stories of White Court vampire orgies, where they'd fed off of numerous people at once. Surely there was some truth to the rumor. Surely she could do what I needed her to do.

I pulled her lips to mine, and her eyes drifted closed as I kissed her, slowly. Gently. My touch was tender, and unassuming. It was not a hungry kiss. It was not the kiss of someone trying to consume another, or quench their desire.

It was a lover's kiss, slow and sweet and controlled.

Her power hit me like a freight train, but I resisted the urge to give in to it. It raged against me, telling me that I should lose any semblance of reservation and control, and take the wanton vampire before me. To claim what was mine, at least until my dying breath.

But my kiss was soft, and gentle, and kind.

And slowly, achingly slowly, Anya took control of her hunger. She tempered it, returning my gentle kiss with her own. Her hunger slowly changed from a whirlwind to a breeze, to a wisp of breath between lovers.

And then, when she had complete control of it, she reached tentatively for Olivia, running a caressing hand across her face.

I don't know how I knew that. My eyes were closed, and my entire world was focused on resisting the urge to further inflame the vampire's passion. My hand was on the back of her neck, cupping her cropped scalp, holding her tenderly. And I knew, just as I knew that I held her gently in my hands, that she in turned had touched Olivia just as tenderly.

Her hand stroked the girl's neck, and her hunger licked at her. Anya moaned into my mouth, growing more impassioned as she fed upon the girl. I softened my kiss even more, my lips caressing hers with the lightest touch. She reigned in her desire, and continued feeding from both me and the girl.

At some point, it all seemed to fade away. My senses failed, and I felt the barriers between me and the punky vampire and the vanilla flavored girl fall down. My touch was Anya's, and hers mine. I could feel my hand caressing Olivia's chest, stroking it lovingly. I could feel my own lips pressed to mine, and the pleasure that I gave to me. I felt my heart thunder in beat with my own, and I felt the hunger within me tempered into something new. Not a raging, lustful weapon to crudely take life from another; but a slight, balanced blade, capable of trimming pieces of another's spirit with precision.

I lost myself in the kiss, until a ragged and startled gasp tore me into pieces.

Anya and I flew apart, both of us collapsing to opposite sides of the hallway. Between us, Olivia was awake and gasping for air. She looked about, her eyes panicked and unrecognizing, as she began to sit up.

"No, lay back," the field medic said as he moved forward. "You've been hurt."

"Where…" she said, her breath weak and thready as she looked about. She saw me to one side, and part of her relaxed. But when she saw Natalia looming over her, she tensed, recognizing the silver eyes that stared at her in disbelief.

"What have you done?" Natalia whispered, disbelieving of what her eyes were telling her.

The doctor pulled the sweater from Olivia's side, where the blood had soaked through. Her skin beneath it was pale, incredibly pale for her caramel tone, but it was whole. The wound was gone.

"We need to get her to a hospital," the medic said urgently. "She's lost a lot of blood."

Natalia nodded, and the medic gestured to others. In no time, they'd unfolded a field stretcher, and placed the girl upon it. I reached for her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, and felt a weak but reassuring response.

"Please," I said, my voice a gentle plea.

"We will see to the girl," Natalia said, her eyes on her cousin, who had not moved from where she leaned against the wall. "But we must all leave now. Emergency responders have already arrived, and my sister and the others can only keep them at bay for so long."

I nodded, and pushed myself up from the floor. Anya remained seated, but Natalia moved to her and gently pulled her to her feet. Rather than leading her toward the elevators, the two headed down the hallway, toward the rear stairwell. The guards that had arrived with Natalia trailed after them, taking Dillon's body with them. I saw that another guard was helping Schaeffer along.

A hand touched my shoulder, shaking me roughly. I turned, and found Q there. He'd retrieved my short spear, and Sal sat atop his shoulder. The salamander scurried across his arm to mine as the goblin gave me a tenuous look.

"We must go," he said, attempting to sound sensitive to my state. It wasn't quite right, since sensitive wasn't something goblins are good at.

I nodded, and forced myself to move in the direction of the others, with Q leaving a steadying hand on my shoulder. I looked at it, and then to him, and saw him shake his head with a grim concern. When he saw me looking, he shook his head.

"What will your wife think?"

* * *

We went out the same back door that we'd used earlier, and climbed into the waiting Suburbans. As they pulled out of the alley, I saw the collection of emergency response vehicles gathered at the front. An ambulance was disappearing into the distance, most likely carrying Olivia away.

"What's going to happen?" I asked, watching all of the flashing lights as they disappeared behind us. We turned a corner, and then it was all gone.

"It will be handled," Natalia said from the front seat.

I thought of the bodies in the hallway. The cops that had died when they'd probably come across the monsters at Olivia's door. The blood that was still fresh and wet when we'd arrived. And Olivia, clinging to life in her circle. "How? How did she last?"

Natalia looked back at me from the front passenger seat, looking for an explanation. I shook my head. "They sent that team just after our initial raid."

"There was already a fire and police response to the building after the incident you reported earlier," she added, glancing back at me. "We heard that they had only just left a short time before you arrived. The blood-bladders were mostly likely forced to wait. Killing a few mortals is one thing; engaging in open battle with your law enforcement is something else entirely."

Of course. The fires that we'd extinguished when Carlo went up in smoke. Rawlins and the others had most likely taken statements from all of the tenants while the firemen confirmed there was no further threat.

In his death, Carlo had given us the time we needed to save Olivia.

Assuming she got medical attention in time.

"Where are we going?" Q asked from beside me. He was to my left, and Anya was to my right. A guard I was unfamiliar with was driving. I wasn't sure where Schaeffer had ended up, but I hoped he wasn't currently being snacked on. He'd looked like he was in rough shape, and the vamps seemed to think that meant they were nothing more than wounded prey.

"We're heading back," she said. "We'll deal with the Vela twins soon enough."

"The who?" I asked, keeping my attention on the vampire in front. The one beside me was curled against the door, and seemed unresponsive. I wasn't sure what to make of her behavior since we'd left the apartment. Or of her state back in the other vehicle, after our soulgaze.

"The Reds in the suits," the driver replied for Natalia. "Intelligence finally came in. They're a brother-sister team that the Reds use for special operations. File says they're old blood, and one of the Reds' more dangerous teams."

"I'd agree with that," I said, running my left hand over my right forearm. After that last kiss with Anya, my arm was healed up again. It still hurt, but the apple seed was working overtime.

"We'll find them, and the witch with them," Natalia swore, vengeance sweet in her voice. "We will retrieve the samples, and end this threat."

"The witch is innocent," I said softly, drawing eyes to me. They weren't pleasant. "I mean she's being forced to do what she's doing."

"She's killed my family," the woman hissed, her furious eyes turning on me.

"I know," I said, shaking my head. "But whatever she's doing, she's not doing it willingly."

"She will be held accountable," Natalia said, turning back around. "You need not concern yourself."

We rode in silence, with our driver following the other vehicles toward their skyscraper. I watched the streets go by, thinking of the witch I'd seen.

"What's love got to do with it?" I asked absently.

" _What?_ " Natalia snapped with surprising vehemence in her voice. She spun around, and for a second I thought she was going to climb into the back with us. Anya tensed beside me, but she didn't turn around.

"I was just thinking about the witch, and trying to figure out how she was doing it," I said as I leaned back. My shoulder pressed into Q's, and he gave an uncomfortable grunt. Sal stuck his head out of his box and gave a low warning growl.

"What makes you ask about love?" Natalia said, her eyes burning with a cold, calculating light.

"Just something the vampire said," I explained. "The male one."

"Emilio," the driver said helpfully from the front. "The sister is Emilia."

"Right. Emilio," I echoed. "Winema had said that the hoodoo was used for blessings rather than curses. I was fishing for information on how they were turning it into a curse, but Emilio acted like it couldn't hurt me. He said something about love."

Natalia settled back into her seat, a cold fury keeping her body tense. "So that is how they are doing it." She pulled a phone out and dialed a number. A second later, a man answered. "Put the witch on," Natalia said.

The call was on speaker, so I heard her when she replied. "What is it?"

"This hoodoo blessing," Natalia said. "Explain to me how it works."

"Well, the witch seems to be using a doll as the focus," Winema said, sounding tired. "The samples are bound to the doll. In turn, the doll is bound to the spirit of the intended recipient of the blessing. Whatever blessing is cast upon the doll is cast upon the subject."

"What about all the rest?" I asked. "The supplies."

"Like I said before, this spell would take a lot of magic," she said. "The rest just helps the witch put enough power into it."

"What kind of blessings?" Natalia asked. I got the impression she had something in mind, but she wasn't sharing.

"Well, it varies between the different styles," the hedge witch replied. "I don't know everything about them, but there are commonalities and differences between hoodoo, Louisiana voodoo, and Haitian vodou, and West African vodun."

"Haitian," I said, recalling the accent I'd heard and the authentic dress. "I think your initial guess was right. She was Haitian."

"Okay," Winema said, her heavy breath carrying over the phone as she tried recalling what she knew. "If I remember correctly, they believe in a Supreme God, and lesser entities called Loa, which are spirits that embody certain aspects. Their rituals ask things of the spirits, but they basically boil down to prayers for luck, power, health, love, and uncrossing."

"Love?" Natalia asked quietly.

"Sure," Winema replied. "If I recall, there's a Loa specifically recognized as a Spirit of Love. There are blessings to bestow love upon people."

Natalia cursed, the language unfamiliar but sounding somewhat ancient. "This is… concerning."

"Why?" Winema said. "Such a thing is harmless. If it worked, it would either help the subject find love, or infuse their spirit with love. How could that be bad?"

"You know not of what you speak," Natalia replied, her voice a whisper. She seemed to realize just how many people were listening, and glanced back at us. "You will speak of this to no-one."

I had no idea what we were talking about, so I readily agreed. Winema did the same, and Q simply nodded, giving the vampire a weighing look.

"We're here," the driver said as we started turning into the alley behind the skyscraper.

"We will discuss this more once we are inside," Natalia said. "There must be a way of protecting oneself from such things."

"There are… there are ways," Winema said, sounding confused. "At least, I think there are. We'll need to do some re—"

She never finished the sentence.

The explosion rocked our vehicle, and the driver swerved as the SUV in front of us erupted into a fireball. Ours hit the wall of the building, and the airbags deployed, blinding us. We all flopped about, the low speed preventing us from getting whiplash even if the sudden stop was jarring.

Anya went to open the door, but the rapid thuds of bullets striking the outside gave her pause. The windows on the right broke into spiderweb cracks as rounds struck the bullet-proof glass. The windshield followed suit seconds later, and we all hunched down.

Q shoved his door on the left, smacking against the wall. There wasn't much space, but he could open it about a foot. The goblin proceeded to smash the door until the hinges broke, and then he twirled it backward. Once it was clear, the slim goblin slid out, and darted around the car to see what there was to be seen.

There wasn't room for me, but Anya scrambled across me. I saw her slide across the seat and stick her legs out the door, pressing her feet against the wall as her hands grabbed the open door-frame.

Then she fucking kicked her legs, and moved the easily three ton SUV with a full payload about three feet.

The vampire slumped after the incredible feat, sliding to the pavement outside. I grabbed my stuff and slipped out beside her, pulling her to the side as Natalia and the driver followed us out.

The four of us cowered behind the vehicle as another explosion rocked the alley.

"Wilson," Natalia said, holding a hand out to the driver. He handed her his side-arm and a pair of spare magazines, and Natalia disappeared in a flash. Anya slid up to me and unzipped my jacket, and before I realized it, had removed my Beretta and the second spare magazine from my holster. Then she was gone after her sister, leaving me with Wilson.

A tense couple of minutes passed, but eventually the gunfire and explosions ended. I'd considered trying to join the others, but even with my helmet and mask, there'd be gaps in my armor that would leave me vulnerable to acute lead poisoning. My arm seemed like it was in one piece, but I wasn't going to undo whatever good had been done in our last healing session.

Instead, Wilson and I cowered down and waited for a shout confirming it was over.

I helped the guard out, who was still disoriented from the crash and the airbag smashing into his face. When we made it around the vehicle, I saw that the alley was in chaos.

A total of six SUVs had been part of our cavalcade. The first was inside the first of the iron gates leading down into the basement. It looked like the gate operator had closed the first set behind it, trapping it inside.

The next two lay smoking in ruins in front of us, blocking the alley. Another two had been on the receiving end of an attack like ours. The occupants of those vehicles had tried disembarking, and had been gunned down in the process. Bodies were strewn about, some mortal, some not, and some black and blubbery.

I led us around the first smoking SUV, and saw that people were pouring out of a door beside the closed iron gate. Several were pale and beautiful, and I saw some familiar faces among them.

"What happened?" the vampire called Madeline asked, darting to us. She was still dressed in her white dress, and didn't have a weapon on her. It seemed kind of odd, considering every other vampire I'd seen that night had wielded one some lethal implement or another.

The others swarming around were all armed, and guards scanned the fire escape across the way. I saw Q hop down onto the roof of a Suburban from one of the landings, carefully avoiding touching any of the metal railings in the process. He whipped his sword through the air, flinging the blood from the blade. Several gunmen lay dead on the steps behind him.

"What happened?" Madeline repeated, grabbing me and wrenching me forward. Her eyes were a livid nickel.

"The twins," Natalia said as she arrived beside us, shooting Madeline a scathing look. The pretty vampire released me, and took a step back. "They hit us as we were returning."

"How did they know where we were?" I asked, as another guard came and retrieved Wilson from me.

"An excellent question," Natalia said, and to my surprise, she sounded defeated. "One I hope to live to answer."

"What do you mean?" Madeline asked, scowling at her cousin.

"The lead vehicle," she replied, her voice heavy with a weariness I didn't expect to hear from someone as strong as her. "They trapped it between the gates while the second two were hit with rocket fire. The rest of us were pinned down so that they could get to the first vehicle."

"Why?" I asked. I thought frantically, trying to make sense of it.

"That was where Winema was," Natalia replied, shaking her head. "The gate operator waited for the driver to lower the window, and opened fire. Then they took the bag and fled out the door."

"But—" I began, but then it hit me.

All our efforts had been wasted. Grend, and his deception, only bought us time. Because despite his assurances that no-one else had the oils necessary for the ritual, there had still been one source left in Chicago.

Those we'd already taken.

Winema had the bag of supplies we'd recovered from the mansion. The last remaining source of the oils needed for the hoodoo blessings.

Emilio Vela had just proven himself correct. Despite all our efforts, we'd lost the battle. The witch would now have all the supplies she'd need to kill the other vampires. Once she'd prepared her ritual location, they'd either resume the countdown, or just cut their loses and eliminate all of the vampires immediately.

One way or the other, the Reds would have their victory. And with it, gain an ally that would let them finally end the long war with the White Council.

Which would leave humanity on its own against the monsters.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"I must tell Lara," Natalia said, defeated and broken as the smoke from the burning vehicles blew around us.

"No," Madeline said quickly. "I will go."

Before the weary warrior could respond, the pretty thing in an unblemished dress rushed off, for some reason eager to be the bearer of dire news.

Natalia stared after her, all of the fight gone.

"What about Winema?" I asked, drawing the warrior woman's eyes back.

"Wounded. Badly," she added, her tone dull with shock.

Which meant the White Court vampires were well and truly fucked. With Winema and Olivia critically wounded, the two practitioners that had any success tracking the witch and the Reds were out of it. The Reds now had everything they needed to end it.

I glanced at my watch, and flipped it open. "I don't suppose you have a vehicle I could borrow?"

Natalia turned to me, too far gone to be angry with my casual tone. She'd failed her family, and nothing she could do now would change that.

"I will see what I can do," she said dully. She turned to walk away, her muscular bare shoulders sagging. I'd never seen anyone quite so defeated.

"Well, you'd better hurry if you want to catch them," I said, looking down at my watch.

The vampire froze, and slowly turned back to me, her eyes narrowing with confusion.

I held up the watch. The face had been slid aside, revealing the compass beneath.

The watch was a heavy thing, a smoky steel color with a face that was easily twice as thick as normal. It was actually of mortal production, but had been heavily modified in certain areas by Q. An engraved metal ring around the watch face was supposed to act similar to an empowered circle, to try and cut down on mechanical failures due to magic use.

When I pushed down on a small clip on the side of the watch face, the entire top half swiveled away on a hinge to reveal the compass beneath. It was just a typical compass before Q ruined it.

Natalia probably couldn't see the etchings in the metal, or that the needle wasn't pointing due north.

"What?" she asked softly.

"Long story short?" I replied with a shrug. "While Emilio was breaking my arm, I was slipping a tracking snap into his jacket. Remember the snap head I showed you earlier?" I wiggled my wrist. "It's tied to this compass. If we hurry, we can use it to find them."

The vampire froze. I'd never seen anything like it. It's not that she just stood still; she was like a statue. One second she was a living, breathing thing resembling a human. The next, she was a stone carving of a stunned woman.

The one after that, she was suddenly in front of me, lifting me up, and laying a smoldering kiss on my lips.

I'd tell you how pleasant it was, but if you haven't accepted just how irresistible and intoxicating White Court vampires are by now, you'll just have to find one for yourself. Suffice it to say that it was incredibly pleasant, but less so when she released me, and we both saw a furious Anya standing beside us.

"You are correct, little cousin," Natalia said, a somewhat surprised tone to her voice. "He _does_ taste good."

Anya looked cross, but Natalia leaned down to kiss her, which made me blink, and I couldn't help but entertain some very crude thoughts. Before my mind was completely lost to a penthouse letter, Natalia pulled back, and I saw that the fire wasn't quite burned out in her eyes. "I will tell the others."

"Careful," I said a second before she disappeared in a blur of white leather. She stopped, and I gave her a warning look. "Be careful who you tell."

At my warning, she cast a look around the alley. "Someone has betrayed us," she stated, her voice filled with surety even as it held some level of disbelief, as if it such a thing were impossible.

"From the very beginning," I said. "Someone close to all of you must have gotten the samples. There's no way a Red Court vampire pulled this off without one of you realizing something. Someone in your organization gathered the blood and hair and gave it to them. And they told them where we were just now. The gate operator knew which car to trap between the gates. It's the only way they knew where to hit us to retrieve the supplies."

Natalia straightened, and I saw that my words had struck home. She nodded, and then took off.

"What is it?" Anya asked, still looking upset. And I wondered if my punky vampire might be a little jealous.

"Help me gather our things, and I'll explain on the way."

* * *

In the tunnels of Undertown, I'd hoped to prevent the Dapper Vela twins from obtaining the oils needed. But with Grend appearing to have given the game away, and me unable to stop them alone, I needed to make sure we could follow them once they left. My hope had been that Grend had played one of his games with the obnoxious vampires, but I couldn't count on it. And even if I'd known he had, I wouldn't have let Emilio get away. Not after he'd told me my friend might be dead.

Vampires be damned, no-one attacks my friends.

As I'd prepared to charge him, I'd crossed my wrists together. My left hand plucked a metallic tab with an arrow from the snap band, while my right had touched the watch. With a command word, the two were linked together.

The hard part came next.

When I ran to Emilio, I'd drawn my gun with my right hand to distract him from noticing the small snap in my left. He'd taken the bait, and when I'd run into him, he failed to notice the metal disk I slipped into his pocket.

I'd checked the watch later, to see if it was working. Knowing it had, I figured pursuing the vamps for revenge could wait. They'd been foiled, even if they hadn't realized it at the time.

Only they'd changed the game again, and my subterfuge was now our only hope at striking before they burned a half dozen high ranking White Court vamps alive.

Within three minutes, the most viable of the Suburbans skidded out onto the street, the honeycomb tires having survived the barrage of bullets that left the windows and doors pockmarked. Our team had tossed our gear in, and then we were off.

I finally got confirmation that the vampire with bangs was Elisa. Natalia was in the passenger seat, and Q, Anya, and myself were in the rear. Sal had shifted to Q's shoulder, as he didn't seem to like being too close to the punky vampire as she made out with me.

It was for medical reasons. Honestly.

"They can't have many bodies left," Natalia insisted. "The Reds always send teams of six."

"But we've killed twice that many already in the tunnels of Undertown and in the alley. Not to mention the blood slaves and those chimeras of theirs," Elisa countered.

"This is a major operation," I stated. My lips were free to speak because Anya was kissing her way down my neck as she squirmed in my lap. I was doing my best to think clinical thoughts, and could even feel a tingling in my right arm as the power of the apple seed filled me. "They've clearly invested a lot of resources into this. They think this is their shot at winning the war."

"Let us hope that I am correct," Natalia said. "If not, then I will fail my family again."

Natalia had heeded my warning about another possible traitor in their midst. We'd managed to confirm that the guard operating the gate had been gunned down in the alley, but Emilio Vega had been spotted escaping with the bag of supplies. The rest of his forces had been left to slow down any pursuit.

The only living beings that knew what we were up to were in the vehicle. Despite my concerns, the vampire insisted that her blood kin could be trusted. The Malvora and the Skavis might betray the Raiths — I pretended to know who those were — but their family was of unquestionable loyalty. Besides, Elisa and Anya were both on the list of those that would die.

Eleven minutes after the fight in the alley had ended, our vehicles circled around a block, before I finally directed them to stop across the street from an office building.

The building had seen better days. Twelve stories tall, it blended in with every other structure in sight. There was nothing abnormal about it, other than the fact that it apparently contained a facility for the Reds.

The six of us quickly finished preparing for battle. Changing things up, I went ahead and put my holster on the outside of my coat again. I usually wore it concealed for legal reasons, but unzipping my Balaur leather jacket every time I needed it was getting more and more of a hassle. With that on, I added the rod sheath to my hip, my weapons interspersed about my pockets, and put on my gloves.

Feeling nostalgic, I put my glasses back on. They were still better than nothing, and other than the crack in the right lens and the gash across the bridge, they were structurally sound. Their spells might not work, but something is better than nothing.

Everyone else wore leathers of their own. The vampires all wore shades of white, and Anya finally shimmied out of her tattered white jeans to don her backup pair of leathers. And holy fucking shit did I not need the imagery of her removing those pants, only to find that she was going commando. I tried averting my gaze as the new pair went on, but I'm only human.

Q was dressed in his own leathers. They were coarser than what I wore, and no-one had made any effort at making them look like something off the shelf. But appearances aside, his were made of the same toughened Balaur hide as mine.

"Here," he said as he handed me a pair of leather pants. They were identical to my jacket, glove, and boots. I quickly swapped out my pants, and noticed that Anya seemed just as interested in that as I'd been in her wardrobe change.

"Ready?" Anya said as she arrived beside me. I saw that she had her two straight swords and several knives and guns strapped around her. More hundred round drums for the pistols were already loaded, and I idly wondered if they had personnel on staff that just spent their time loading the damn things.

Natalia and the others were similarly armed, and everyone had a tense look about them.

I nodded, and pulled the rod from the sheath, joining the others as they went to battle for the fate of the White Court.

* * *

Once we were inside, I shifted the watch around, expecting the compass arrow to point up. Since it didn't tell me anything about how far away the compass snap head was, I figured we'd have to go floor by floor.

But rather than pointing up, the compass was pointing down.

"Is there a basement?" I asked, looking around.

The others spread out. Q checked the stairwell, and confirmed there was a door that looked to conceal more stairs leading down.

With a quick twist of his wrist, the goblin broke the lock on the door, and our group began our descent.

The building had two sub-floors. I stopped at the first, but the compass still pointed down at an angle, so we continued on. Outside the door to the lower level, the compass leveled out.

"Do we have any idea what might be waiting for us on the other side?" I asked softly. Q sniffed the air while the others cocked their heads, no doubt trying to listen. But none of them seemed to have a clue.

Sal scampered down from my shoulder, and seemed to shrink as he did. He was no larger than a baby salamander when he slithered beneath the door. We all watched him go, and then waited for the fire elemental to return.

About two minutes later, Sal reappeared, and made his way back up. He trilled as he went, and Q translated.

"He says there's a short hallway with a number of rooms to either side. He can smell a lot of vampires," the goblin said. "Most of them smell like rot. But a room further down the hall has a pair that doesn't."

"So the twins, plus whatever blood slaves they have remaining," Elisa said softly.

Sal trilled again, and Q grimaced. "He says he could also smell another of those flying snake things and at least one dog."

"Fuck," I said, recalling the power they'd exhibited behind Olivia's threshold. I really didn't want to see what they were capable of out in the open.

"Should we call for backup?" Elisa asked Natalia. Anya stood beside me, growing tense. I nudged her reassuringly, even if I wasn't all that confident myself.

"No," Natalia said as she withdrew a phone. After shifting back up a few stairs to gain a signal, she typed up a message. Once it was sent, she put the phone away, and returned to us. "I've told Lara where we are, and what we know. If we fail, it will be up to her."

Everyone else pulled their weapons, and braced themselves to fight through a horde of crazed vampires.

"So who's going in first?" I asked the five supernaturally strong, fast, and agile creatures I was preparing to go into battle with.

And to my utter disappointment, they all turned to me.

* * *

One minute later, four of us charged into the basement hallway, making as much noise as we could.

A second after that, the hallway was flooded with blood slave Red Court vampires, pouring out of the rooms to either side.

"Now!" Natalia snapped. But her order was unnecessary, for as soon as I saw the vampires, I sub-vocalized the light spell on my short spear, and filled the hall with the warm glow of a summer afternoon.

The vampires' screams were deafening, and the three women of the White Court surged past me, slicing the blood slaves to pieces as I held the spear aloft. The vampires closest to us burst into flames, while those further back tried to shy away from the light.

We surged forward, driving the black bodied forms away. The three women were incredible as they swung their blades back and forth.

Natalia led the way, hefting her concave axe in one hand and the curving knife in the other. It would have taken me both arms to wield the heavier weapon, but the vampire swung it with ease. Back and forth it fell, cutting down the vampires ahead of us like flaming wheat. Any that grew close from the side were cut down with the knife, or left to the other two.

Elisa bore two wavy bladed swords, each of which cut throats and bellies that could not retreat fast enough. Anya's own straight swords were reversed, the blades running along her forearms as she gripped the guards like batons. I watched as she swung a punch with her left arm, the curving blade over the handle cutting one vampire while the straight blade cut a second. She swirled the baton grip in her other hand, spinning the blade around and taking a bloated head with it. The motion ended with a stabbing motion, skewering two vamps along the sword.

As we passed each room, I threw a different snap into the gaping doorways. Of the thirty-six snaps, I'd used six. A few weren't offensive, but the vast majority would lay waste to anything in their path.

" _Naur-luth!_ " I shouted as I threw a tab into one room, igniting a fireball as it impacted a vampire in the shadows, and the swirling flame engulfed those closest to it. Another room received a ball lightning snap, while the next snap unleashed a wind tunnel that sent all of the vampires in a third room into the walls, the impacts enough to break their backs.

We worked our way forward, killing as many as we could. I found myself unconsciously working in tandem with Anya, our movements oddly in sync. I felt something tug at my mind, and spun around to swipe the glowing spearhead across a vampire that had tried to close on Anya while both of her weapons were tied up with others.

Another moment, my punky vampire girl tugged me away from an attack I'd only just seen coming from a vampire crawling across the ceiling. Her sword took its head off, and then we both spun to continue our way down the hall.

The four of us were halfway down the hall, surrounded by a handful of leery vampires hesitating to approach the light from my spear, when the far door opened, and Emilio Vela appeared. Straining on a leash were four Grunches, the dog-like creatures straining to pull free. With a grin, he released them, and the four incredible beasts leapt forward.

Even as the Dapper Man closed the door, a swirl of fire appeared in the corner beside it. The dogs skidded to a stop as they sensed the magical power being pulled into the fire elemental that had awaited their emergence. The salamander's skin became a blazing inferno as he leapt at them.

A slight rustle and the sensation of a breeze across my neck was the only sign of Qilluhrang's passage as he hurtled past us. His movement was like a flickering shadow as he ran across the wall, leaping back and forth over the heads of the blood slaves.

His own enchanted blades lashed out several times as he went, the edges flashing with light as they cut at the vampires below. The curving sabers had been crafted with the same care as my own spear, which meant they too contained the essence of sunlight within them. He couldn't work the magic of them like I could, so the blades did not glow with a bright light, save for when they came into contact with the vampires. As the swords cut them, a light shown forth, hurting those nearby as those under the blades died.

And then he was beyond the vampires, descending upon the dogs as Sal came at them from the other side.

We'd known that the dogs would be the biggest threat in the enclosed space. I couldn't take two on even when they were limited by a threshold. Taking more on without being weakened first would have been impossible. We'd held Q and Sal in reserve just for them, sending the salamander in first so that we could gain an advantage.

But even with the element of surprise, the salamander was outmatched by the dogs. Sal fought on even terms with one, his flaming hide not scaring them in the slightest. That left three for Q, who embraced the battle with a sinister grin.

Even with swords in each hand, the goblin's fingers snapped to his wrists, breaking the bracelets on each. The iron beads he'd borrowed from me shot toward two of the dogs, the goblin magic within them glowing a bright green as a lattice of thin lines formed between them. As the magic light faded, the beads shot around the closest Grunches, the nets tripping the beasts up. His swords swirled down as he charged at them, the enchanted blades cutting through some of the netting as he tried to take their heads off while incapacitated.

One swing sheered through the Grunch's neck like a butcher's knife through a really ugly and smelly slab of meat. The other attack was cut short as Q had to defend against the third dog that leapt at him. The goblin sprung to one side and off a wall, spinning through mid-air. As he twisted around, the sword swiped along the dog's side, the blade tearing it nearly in half.

Its howl seemed to shake the walls around us, but it was cut short as the goblin darted back at it, slicing through its neck with his forward swing.

I was distracted for a second as a second wave of blood slaves surged from a room. I managed to throw a pair ice snaps into their midst, and the group tumbled to a stop long enough for me to hurl a fire spell into the pile. At least five went up in flames while the first two thrashed, unable to breath.

And then suddenly we were through. The blood slaves before us had all fallen to magic and steel, and we arrived at the position of the others as Q finished off his third dog. Sal stood over the body of the last, his own hide covered in wounds from the thing's spines.

"We still have more behind us," Anya said, and I turned to see more blood slaves creeping into the hallway. They could smell our blood, which drove them mad with hunger. But the light burned where it touched them, and those that remained were at least somewhat cautious.

"We can hold them," Elisa said, her eyes cold as she watched the vampires. Her and the other women all moved with inhuman grace, their pale skin shining as their vampiric power fueled their strength and movement. Even Anya, who seemed the most human of the three, had given herself over to her monster. There was nothing mortal in her slack and hungry stare.

"We will continue—" Natalia began, but the door at the end of the hall opened again. We spun around to see Emilio standing there, a scowl having replaced his victorious grin.

"Enough of this foolishness," he said, as if we were children playing in a school yard. All of us were covered in gore, making his pristine clothing look out of place.

"Surrender the samples, and we will make your deaths swift and painless," Natalia countered, turning toward him and spinning her axe.

"I think not," the Dapper vampire said as he looked us over. He snapped his fingers, and then took a step back. We all tensed, preparing ourselves for an attack.

We weren't ready.

The Puechen burst through the open doorway like an express train. I didn't see its tail strike Sal so much as I saw the fire elemental smash into the wall with incredible force. The goblin was next in its path, and Q tried darting to one side as it coiled at him. I saw his swords blur like quicksilver, but the Puechen was faster, and the poisoned barb at the end sliced across Q's chest, sending him down to the floor.

The tail coiled back and began to strike down, but Natalia swung her concave axe up and around, and the flying snake spun in mid-air, halting one strike to whip its tail toward her, knocking the axe aside. The head buried itself in the wall, and then the snake was on her, coiling around her body as it tried to close its jaws around her neck.

If that weren't enough, the chimera's appearance had emboldened the blood slaves, who all surged forth from where they cowered. The hallway behind us filled with at least two dozen of them. I at least had hope that these were the last of them, since the seemingly unending wave of blubbery flesh finally trickled off.

" _Lith-luth!_ " I shouted as I threw another sandstone snap at the ceiling overhead. My hope was that enough of the material between the two basement floors would crash down, crushing the vampires like it had in the mansion basement. But there wasn't much to work with, and the partial collapse only slowed their advance.

"Do you have any more—" was as far as Anya got, before she doubled over in pain. Elisa shot a startled look to her cousin, before stepping forward to try and hold back the vampires on her own. I moved to Anya, who collapsed to the floor as boils started appearing on her skin.

"It's the curse!" I shouted. "They're targeting Anya!"

I fell to my knees beside her and watched her eyes widen as her flesh started smoldering. Pale skin blistered and broke as tiny tongues of white flame erupted all across her, burning through her clothes. She screamed as she burned from the inside out, her agonized wail driving the monsters around us into a maddened frenzy.

"Your spear!" Elisa shouted worriedly, and I spared a glance her way. When I'd knelt next to Anya, I'd dropped my spear beside me. The light was still shining from it, but it was no longer high enough to burn the vampires. They were closing on Elisa, who had to face them alone.

I grabbed the spear, and brought it around. As the light shifted back into view, the vampires recoiled, and Elisa took the opportunity to twist around and snatch it from my hands.

Wielding a wavy sword in one hand and my glowing spear in the other, the succubus fought against nearly two dozen Red Court vampires. To my rear, the other three continued to battle the Puechen. It looked like Sal had kept the flying snake from crushing Natalia, and he and Q were doing what they could to keep it occupied while she recovered.

And beside me lay Anya, who was slowly burning alive.

I thought desperately at what to do. The girl was in agonizing pain, and it wouldn't be long before she was consumed. I grabbed the girl, the white flames erupting from her body blending with the violet fires that spread across me, protecting me.

I managed to lift her, and made my way for one of the side rooms the blood slaves had emerged from. I didn't want Anya's screams distracting the others, nor did I want her to start flailing about like Carlo had. If she did that midst the others fighting for their lives, it might cost all of us.

Once I was through the doorway, I kicked the door shut, and placed the girl on the floor. Her eyes were unfocused as her body spasmed, smoke and ash beginning to puff along with her breath as her lungs burned. I held her, wishing I could do something. Wishing there was some way I could protect her from the flames as my ring protected me.

The thought made me freeze, and I looked to my gloved hand.

 _Violet, please help her_ , I thought as I wrenched my right glove off. I quickly removed the bone-white ring, the gift from the Lampad that bathed me in protective flames. _Please understand. I don_ _'_ _t want her to die._

I wasn't quite sure how the ring worked. I knew it created a link between Violet and myself, as speaking to her through the ring would normally result in her coming to me when possible. She never came during the day, and even at night she would not always answer my summons. But there was a link between her and I; one that had allowed her to sense what was happening between Olivia and I earlier that night. If she could understand that, then hopefully she could understand my desire now.

As soon as the ring cleared my fingertip, the purple flames covering me were extinguished. The white flames bursting from the girl washed over my crouching form, and the only thing that kept me from burning was the Balaur hide leathers I wore.

Using my gloved hand, I slid the ring over her right middle finger, the same I kept it on. I held my breath as it slid into place.

There was a long second, as if the world paused for just a moment, before the girl's body erupted into violet flame.

Her entire body was covered in amethyst hues, the flames burning bright enough to light the dark room. I saw Anya gasp, her eyes wide in surprise rather than pain. Her mouth opened, but her pained cry became nothing more than startled breaths. The ring was working, trying to protect the girl inside and out from the fires that tried to consume her.

But it looked like it might not be enough.

Whatever the spell's intent, blessing or curse, it continued to try and ravage the vampire's body. I watched as a portion of Anya's face blackened from burns, only to cease and begin healing with her power as another area burst into white flame, only to be extinguished by purple fires a moment later. A battle had broken out across her entire being, the fires of the Lampad batting the flames of the curse, with Anya's life in the balance.

"Hang in there," I told her, unconsciously running a hand across her forehead. The leather glove kept me from burning myself, but I felt the heat in a painful way I normally didn't. I stood back, as I realized that both white and purple flames could burn me now.

As I gave her space, I looked about, and tried to figure out what more I could do.

The battle still raged outside in the hallway. I could hear the others fighting the Puechen and the remaining blood slaves. We needed to cut through and get to the witch, but I knew the flying snake would cut me down before I could get there. I needed another way into the back room, which was just beyond the one I was in.

I looked to the cinderblock wall standing between me and the Dapper twins. After a moment, my eyes widened, and I looked to my leather bracelet as I devised a plan that would hopefully keep me alive long enough to end this.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

" _Lith-luth!_ "

As my last sandstone snap hit the rear wall, I shouted the command word that would turn the cinderblock to dust. When it impacted, a large hole appeared as the wall crumbled to the floor.

Knowing what awaited me, I threw another object through the opening. A blur appeared on the other side of the makeshift entrance as I did, as Emilio appeared with his sword raised.

He was ready for me to charge through. But he wasn't ready for my glowing silver ring to hit him in the chest.

The vampire screamed as the bright light burned him. I saw his skin begin to smoke even before the ring hit the floor. It was made in the same forging process with the same materials as my spear. Both of my rings had the same essence of sunlight worked into them, and both had been prepared for illumination spells.

With the three objects interlinked, I was able to keep all three alight as long as one stayed on my person. The ring on my right hand burned with a bright light, matching that of the one I'd thrown. I charged forward, my bare right hand raised as I ran at the vampire.

Emilio leapt backward, retreating from the light as I jumped through the hole. He snarled at me, the flesh of his face moving inhumanly as the beast beneath raged.

" _Raud-teitha!_ " I shouted as I threw a snap at the floor between us. As I did, I trusted in the magic, and glanced around the room to see where Emilia and the witch were.

I spotted the witch huddled in a back corner beside a new ritual circle. Her attention was on me, her eyes wide and hopeful. Another doll lay beside the circle, with one still residing within. Atop it was a ring on a chain.

A cursed shout confirmed the snap had done its job, and I scanned the rest of the room for Emilia. I spotted her on the far side, her gaze hateful as she drew her sword. Behind her was the crumpled body of a man, his ethnic garb identical to that of the witch.

Well. That explained why she was working for them.

I turned back to Emilio as he wrenched at his sword. The tip was pinned to the floor, the point stuck upon the metal tab I'd thrown. The spell had created an intense magnetic field directly over the snap, pinning the small disk to the ground. Any metal that crossed through it was drawn down to it.

The vampire pulled at the sword with all of his might, but it would not budge. He finally looked up, his furious snarl sliding into a slightly bemused smile.

"Well played, wizard," he said. "But I don't need the sword to kill you."

As the vampire suddenly blurred toward me, I brought my bare right hand around in a right cross, shouting "I'm not a wizard!"

As battle-cries go, it wasn't much. But as my fist connected with the charging vampire, the two objects on my fingers made my feeble attack into a nearly lethal one. The silver ring I wore still burned with a bright light, and as it touched the vampire's skin, his face burst into flames.

Still, that alone wouldn't have been enough to hurt him. Which was why I was wearing the surviving set of my good old brass knuckles.

Q had made a pair of them for me years earlier, using a spell that gathered kinetic energy within them. Whenever I punched something with them, the stored up energy was unleashed, while actively compensating for the blow itself so that it wouldn't break my hand.

I'd lost one of the knuckles to a hot fire a long time back, but I still had the second one. I didn't get to use them much, as I was rarely going up against something or someone that deserved to be hit that hard.

But that mother fucker had sent monsters after Olivia. He deserved that and more.

As the knuckles hit, the spell inside unleashed all of the power it'd been gathering since I'd slipped them into my pocket back at the Argent building. It didn't have as much as it might have had I been wearing them, but it was enough to send the vampire spinning into the wall to my left with a thundering crash.

Before he'd even hit, I was turning toward Emilia, who started running toward me as soon as she saw Emilio in trouble. My hands were moving in a flash as she charged at me, even as I kicked the ring on the floor in her direction.

She flinched as it skidded toward her, which bought me the time I needed to prepare two more spells. My left hand whipped out, releasing the two iron spheres the size of pool balls, as I shouted, " _Gwedh!_ "

The magical bola balls swirled around each other as they shot toward their target. A glowing band of green appeared between them, much as the net spell had bound the iron beads of the bracelets. I only had the two sets of those, and I'd lent them to Q to use against the grunches. But the bola ball was enough to trip Emilia up, as the magical line wrapped tight around her legs.

Even as she fell, I was throwing more snaps. " _Raud-teitha! Helca-luth!_ "

The first snap ignited beside her, and the iron balls I'd thrown were drawn toward the magnetic pull of the snap. Her sword reacted as well, the metal hilt sliding to join the balls in the spell's unrelenting grip.

The second spell triggered two snaps I threw, the last of my ice spells. Even as Emilia struggled to tear at the magical line binding her legs with her incredible strength, the snaps hit her, and her entire body was engulfed in ice. Her body froze, and she toppled to one side as she struggled to breath.

I spun back around to Emilio as I drew the kenai knife from another pocket. The enchanted blade that had been given to me by the Kenku warrior didn't have any of the nifty spells my spear had, but it had been the basis of its construction. The blade would cut through almost any enchantment and material.

As I turned, the fully transformed and savage form of Emilio Vela hit me like a bus, driving me to the floor.

I got my left arm up as his bat-like jaw snapped down at me. There was nothing left of the Dapper Man I'd seen earlier. His clothes had been shredded as he devolved into a mass of blubbery black flesh. Black eyes stared down with madness as he thrashed against me. His bat-like teeth in his short snout snapped down on my left forearm, wrenching it back and forth as he tried to take my arm off.

I grunted in pain as my arm was tugged back and forth with inhuman strength. Thankfully the ring I brandished was taking something out of the monster's attack, or he would have torn my arm from its socket in the first second.

Giving up on that attack, Emilio pulled back and wrenched my left arm to the side to free path to my neck. As he twisted me, I rolled with him, bringing my other hand around. My right hand wasn't protected by a glove, but that meant the light from the silver ring was free to shine sunlight directly on his face. He squealed as it swung close. His clenched eyes might have been saved from the light, but it also prevented him from seeing the Kenku blade.

I plunged the kenai knife into his left temple, the blade slicing through his skin and skull and puncturing his left eye. The vampire howled and spun away, clawing at his face even as the ring set his oily skin on fire. To help it along, I threw the last two fire snaps after him. " _Naur-luth_."

The two erupted into an inferno of flame, and the vampire screamed as his entire body became engulfed. I thought it a fitting fate for someone so willing to let others burn.

I smiled darkly beneath my dragon-scale face-mask, but my celebration ended abruptly as Emilia crashed into me from behind.

" _I_ _'_ _LL KILL YOU!_ " she screamed, her human face tearing away in my peripheral vision as I twisted to look around at her. She'd broken free of the ice and bola, and her flesh was torn away along with her clothes as she transformed into the monster she truly was.

I hunched my neck down as she bit at me, and I felt teeth sink into the back of my neck. I screamed as I tried twisting away, but I couldn't break free from her grip. It didn't seem to matter to her that the ring on my finger was casting a burning light on her flesh; she was beyond the pain of sunlight as she avenged her brother.

Just as I was realizing that I was a goner, the vampire flinched in pain. I saw her pull back and whip an arm to the side, striking at the witch that had come out of nowhere. The old woman was thrown ten feet through the air, landing painfully against the wall.

And then the vampire turned her attention back to me. I saw her eyes flash with rage as I rolled to my back beneath her. But the woman's attack had bought me time and space, and I managed to retrieve another snap from my bracelet. One that would get the filthy thing off of me, and give me a chance to survive.

I just hoped I didn't crush myself under its power.

" _Hwinia-gwae-luth!_ " I wheezed, holding the snap flat on my palm.

The spell triggered, and a whirlwind erupted from the snap. The vampire was thrown away from me under the swirling wind, even as I was propelled across the floor by the force of the spell. I tumbled over, out of control, until I slammed to a stop against the back wall. I groaned as the blow shot pain down my spine, and I slowly rolled away from the cinderblock.

The vampire faired better. Even as I fought to catch my breath, I saw that the vampire had thrown her arms wide, allowing the membranous wings between her arms and body to catch the brunt of the wind. She rode it backwards across the room, and landed against the front wall with her knees bent.

In the midst of the chaos, I saw the door to the hallway open, and Q slipped into the room with my spear in one hand. The light from it filled the room, causing the vampire on the wall beside him to scream as it burned her flesh.

To escape the light, the vampire launched herself forward, her strength and wings allowing her to glide across the room as the whirlwind subsided. She flew at me, her monstrous jaw wide and hissing as she came. Surviving the light from my ring or the spear no longer seemed to concern her. Emilia's only thought was of avenging her brother.

I scrambled to my feet, pushing myself up the wall as she hit me. I managed to keep both arms up in front of me as I hissed, " _Pel-forma!_ "

My left hand tried pushing the vampire back as my right curled in front of her, my forearm against her shoulder. She snapped at me, and almost took my right hand off. Only the light from the ring made her draw back, some subconscious part of her bestial mind not allowing her to grow closer to that which burned her.

She should have bitten it off. Doing so would have ended the light spell, as well as canceled the summoning spell I'd managed.

Instead, the short spear answered my call, and the connection between the ring and the spear drew the two together. The spear shot toward us, its approach out of sight, until the shining spearhead burst through the vampire's sternum.

She screamed horribly as the light burned her from within, and she flew away from me, working to wrench the spear free. Her body spasmed and whirled as she stumbled across the room, clawing at her back.

Her razor fingers got a grip on the shaft and pulled it free just as Q darted toward her. She must have heard him coming, because she twisted as she pulled the spear free, throwing it at him as she blurred away from it.

The goblin's reflexes were lightning fast, and he caught the spear in mid-air and hurled it back at the vampire. I saw it pierce her belly and pin her to the wall as gore spilled from her stomach. She thrashed against it, trying to draw it free as the light burned her.

Q began to run toward her again, but a warning growl from across the room drew him short. He spun around, as did I, to see what was left of Emilio rising.

I was amazed that the vampire was still alive. I'd hoped the fire spells would be enough to finish him off, but he'd apparently wrenched the Kenku blade free from his temple and thrown it aside. His face was in ruins, and most of his body was bloodied and burned. There wasn't much left of the monster, but there was still enough strength in him to stand.

Across the room, Emilia wrenched the spear free and tossed it aside, and knelt down as she tried to recover. Q and I turned back and forth, looking at the vampires that refused to die, even as Natalia stumbled into the room. I saw both deformed vampires tense themselves, preparing to leap, when a soft chant caught my attention. It caught theirs as well, and they turned as one to look upon the witch in the corner.

The Haitian vodou priestess had been busy while everyone else had been preoccupied. I spotted the discarded Kenku knife I'd buried in Emilio's face beside her, along with another knife dripping with dark blood. Blood from each had been smeared onto two dolls, and as the witch completed her ritual, she pressed the two dolls together, with the silver ring I'd thrown into the room between them.

The hoodoo blessing ritual bound the spirits of the two vampires together with the sunlight shining forth from the ring, and the twins burst into bright white flames, burning inside and out, as the witch blessed them with light and illumination.

The rest of us flinched back as the two vampires became twin bonfires of white flame, thrashing back and forth across the floor as they met the same fate they'd meted out to others. Their screams were horrible, as one crashed into the wall while the other leapt to the ceiling. Chunks of burning flesh fell away, leaving flaming piles of white fire in their wake.

The witch watched with a grim determination as she issued the justice they deserved.

And then, it was over. First one, and then the other, collapsed to the floor. What was left of them popped and sizzled until there was nothing more than piles of cinder and ash, as the bright fire blessed their souls.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The first of us to move was the Haitian witch. As soon as the spell ran its course, she ran across the room, to the man huddled in the corner.

Natalia watched her go, something dark flickering in her eyes. I recalled her threat to make sure the witch paid for her role in things, and knew that she'd want her pound of flesh. Regardless of the fact that the witch had been forced into it, or that she'd landed the killing blow herself.

As she strode toward the two, I looked around.

My eyes fell on the box beside the circle.

I stepped quickly to the corner, and scanned over the items there. The blackened dolls the witch had used to kill the Vela twins were still within the circle. I left those alone. Another doll had been set aside, all but burned to a crisp. Figuring it was what remained of Anya's doll, I tore it to pieces, making sure there was nothing left to tie it to her.

To the other side of the circle was a ring on a chain and another doll. Hair and a pale wetness clung to the little figurine. I assumed they were the next in line, had our attack not interrupted things. I crouched beside it, and picked up the empty vial lying on the floor. The vial had odd markings on it, dark scratches that were no doubt tied to the preservation spell that kept the samples viable. Over a clear section, a piece of tape had been wrapped around the vial. Turning it over in my hands, I read the name written on the tape.

 _Thomas_

Well, whoever Thomas was, it was his lucky day.

Bending over, I picked up the box that contained the rest of the vials. There were still several remaining, and I looked over those as well.

 _Elisa_

 _Natalia_

 _Lara_

I turned the last vial, and gave a low whistle.

 _Lord Raith_

"Put. Those. Down."

I looked up to see Natalia frozen halfway across the room, her progress toward the couple halted as she realized what I held. It was the same inhuman stillness that I'd seen in the alley. The effect it had on me was visceral, making me shiver as I stared at something that should be moving but wasn't.

"In a second," I managed to say with a grim smile, turning toward her. My gut wanted me to obey the woman, or possibly run and hide before whatever it was that looked human — but was decidedly not — came after me.

"Now," the warrior woman hissed, taking a slow step forward. She paused again as I withdrew a vial from the box.

"First we discuss my payment," I said, waving the vial back and forth. That it happened to have her name on it was surely a coincidence.

The vampire tensed, her frozen visage thrumming with energy as she considered making a run at me. But the sound of Q whipping his sword up to his shoulder, the blade whistling through the air as it went, gave her pause.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.

"I figure I've saved a few lives tonight," I said, wiggling the box. "Five at least. More if Anya and that Arcadia person make it."

"Your point?" Natalia asked, her eyes glowing silver as her body shined. I could see the wounds she'd taken from the Puechen healing before my eyes.

"I want some in return," I said, nodding toward the couple. The witch had the man sitting up. It looked like he'd been worked over, and possibly fed from by the Red Court vampires. But his eyes were open, and I figured that meant he stood a chance. Better than Cooper, at any rate.

Natalia glanced at the two, and then back to me. "You wish to purchase their lives with ours?" she asked with disbelief.

"An equitable trade," I explained. "They were used against their will. They were proxies in this matter. In return for my services, you and yours will promise to leave them alone. Maybe you could even see to taking care of them, and making sure they get home safely."

Natalia stared at me, and I wondered when her patience with me would finally give out. I might have had her in a vice for the moment, but if Ms. D'Argento had dispatched backup, Q and I could find ourselves outnumbered in moments. I wasn't sure where Elisa or Sal were, but I could guess.

Something told me that Anya was still alive, and hadn't moved from where I'd left her in the side room. I wasn't sure _how_ I knew, but I knew all the same. Which was a bit disconcerting.

"My sister needs to feed," the warrior vampire finally said, drawing my attention back. She was looking to the couple, and then turned back to me. "Pick one to spare."

"I don't think you want her feeding from either of them," I said with a shake of my head.

"Why not?" Natalia asked, frowning slightly.

"Because they're in love."

Natalia's eyes widened, and she glanced back to the couple.

"See, I didn't get it earlier," I explained to her as she studied them. "Emilio said something about not being able to hurt me with the spell. He said something about love." I nodded toward my ring, which still glowed brightly midst the remnants of the Vela twins' voodoo dolls. "It wasn't until I saw what she did, and thought about what Winema had said about the blessings, that I realized what was happening."

"What is that?" Natalia asked, slowly turning back to me. There was a cautionary tone in her voice that told me she already knew, but wanted to confirm that I'd figured it out.

"My ring was only harmful to the twins because of the essence of sunlight," I said simply. "When she used the ring to bind the light to them, to 'bless' them with it, it infused their entire spirit with something that was deadly to their kind."

I bent down and picked up the ring and chain beside the Thomas doll. "I figure this wedding ring must contain some essence of their love," I said, nodding toward the cowering couple. "That kind of thing would be perfect for a beneficial blessing of love… unless you're a White Court vampire."

Everything has a weakness. Red Court vampires couldn't stand sunlight upon their skin. The Fae can't stand the touch of iron. I can't stand peas.

For the White Court, it seemed that love was their bane. The thing that would most likely burn them at a touch, and burn them through and through if it was bound to their spirit the way the witch had. A blessing of love had killed five of them as surely as a blessing of light had killed the Vela twins.

Natalia didn't say anything, but I figured I had the gist of it correct. And if love was so deadly to them, I figured feeding from the couple wouldn't be good for them either.

After one last glance at the couple, the warrior woman gave a curt nod. "Very well." She turned back to me. "Destroy those now, and I will honor your request."

I retrieved the Thomas doll from the floor and strode over the burning remnants of Emilio. After tearing the doll apart, I tossed it into the flaming embers of the vampire. The contents of the other vials followed, and then I dumped the vials themselves in as well. The hair, nails, and blood sizzled in the flames, and the glass vials shattered.

Once the last of them was destroyed, the tension in Natalia's shoulders eased somewhat. She still had a ready scowl for me, but the danger had passed.

"We must go," Natalia said. "Anya will need to feed. If not from them, then someone."

I nodded, looking to the hole in the wall. Some part of me could feel Anya in the other room, could feel her hunger reaching out, looking to be sated. At the same time, I felt all of the aches and pains from my fight with the Vela twins, and knew what would hasten my recovery.

"Maybe we can work something out."

* * *

As bad as that sounds, I didn't just take off with the sexy vampire and let her screw my brains out.

After all, I kind of sort of have a girlfriend.

Instead, we quickly gathered up our things, along with all of the remaining supplies for the vodou blessings, and made our way toward the others.

When I got there, I found Elisa and Sal with Anya. The two women were locked in a tight embrace, and I got the feeling that Elisa was letting Anya feed from her. Either that, or their idea of a familial kiss was _extremely_ different from mine.

Sal was making the tableau look even odder, licking his way over my punky vampire. His saliva, often used by me in the past, had a soothing effect on burns. I'd had second degree injuries lessen to first degree thanks to him. He was doing what he could for the burned vampire, even as she used her own power to heal herself. But his lapping sounds, combined with their moans, was creeping both Q and myself out. Natalia, meanwhile, looked like she was perhaps inclined to join them.

Anya was looking much better by then. After letting us watch for just a moment, she broke her kiss with Elisa, and turned her smoldering eyes toward me. My heart might have skipped a beat at the sight, despite much of her body still sporting horrid burns from the spell the witch had cast. Something inside me answered the call of her hunger, and it took everything I had not to join her on the floor.

Elisa carried the girl out while Q and I escorted the Haitian couple. Sal climbed into his box in my outer coat pocket and immediately fell asleep, exhausted from the fight and the attempts at healing the girl. Natalia led the way, and our group was relieved to find friendlies arriving as we exited.

A few went in to sweep the basement, making sure we hadn't missed anything. The Haitians were shepherded to one vehicle, and Q agreed to ride along to keep an eye on them, along with taking most of my gear. Natalia and Elisa ended up in the front of the SUV we'd arrived in, leaving Anya and I alone in the back.

I lost a bit of time on the trip to the hospital. Any sense of self-control Anya might have learned at the apartment with Olivia was lost in her maddening hunger, but I at least managed to keep my pants on. By the time we arrived back at the emergency room entrance, Anya was practically glowing from the deep feeding, and I was trying to remember my name.

"Mr. Hayes," Natalia said, helping me accomplish that. When I pushed Anya away, I saw the warrior woman studying me. "We're here."

"Right," I said, blinking away the dizzying affect of the vampire's kiss.

I pushed Anya off of my lap, and saw that her wounds were all but gone. Her eyes were closed, but there was a blissful smile on her lips as I shifted her to the seat beside me. My head cleared after a moment, and after retrieving my bone-white ring from Anya, I climbed out of the vehicle.

"How…?" Elisa muttered, looking back from the front passenger seat.

"That's what I'd like to know," Natalia replied.

"Fuzzy blanket," Anya muttered happily.

I closed the door, and headed into the hospital.

* * *

When I entered, the woman at the reception desk advised me where Olivia's room was, and I settled in to wait.

Hours passed. I took the opportunity to use the hospital phone to call in to Robbins and Stallings. Neither was all that pleased to hear from me. I filled them in on what had occurred, explaining that there hadn't been many opportunities to loop them in. They begrudgingly accepted that, and filled me in on things from their end.

Four officers died when the Red Court strike team hit Olivia's apartment. My warning call had instigated an immediate response from the local precinct, which was the closest to the apartment. As near as anyone could tell, the two units had responded, and the four men killed when they found the Reds and their pets in the hall.

Internal Affairs was already involving themselves, with someone named Rudolph leading the charge. Apparently they'd gotten wind that S.I. had been at the apartment during the first visit, which was outside of their jurisdiction. That, combined with the deformed bodies recovered from inside Olivia's apartment, was causing pointed questions to be asked.

I assured them that I would be in as soon as possible. They didn't like that, but I wasn't leaving the hospital until I got word on my friend.

After what seemed like a geologic epoch, but was likely less than the extended edition of _The Return of the King_ , the doctors finally came to tell me that Olivia was awake, and had given permission for me to visit.

I entered the room, worried that the girl might still be in bad shape. But a few hours and a few pints of blood had done wonders for her coloring. She still looked weak, but the doctors said she'd be free to go home in another day or so. She was pleased to see me, and even more pleased to see a very enthusiastic Sal.

She confirmed that the fire department and police left after completing their preliminary investigation. Once they'd taken statements and confirmed there was no lingering danger of re-ignition, they'd departed. A commotion in the hallway had drawn her out only moments later. She watched through her enchanted peephole as the chimeras set into the cops.

Olivia had retreated back into her place, and retrieved what weapons she could. She managed to kill one vamp and injure another before they'd unleashed the beasts upon her. The explosive light and sound from a party popper stick had bought her enough time to retreat behind her warded bedroom door and complete the minor circle that kept her alive. After that, she'd passed out, and didn't even recall being in the hallway with me and the others.

I explained what had happened when we arrived, but hedged a little bit when it came to Anya feeding on her to spur her recovery. I didn't think she'd appreciate knowing that the punky vampire had fed from her a second time.

"Thank you for coming," Olivia said later, once we'd finished our tales. "Back at the apartment, I mean."

"You know I'll always be there for you," I assured her, which drew a warm smile. It filled my heart to see it. I'd thought for a while that I'd never see it again.

I stayed with her a bit longer, until she finally told me to go home and shower. Apparently I stank like burned vampire or something. Sal didn't seem to mind, but he's got odd tastes.

I took the hint, and left her to rest.

* * *

When I exited the hospital, I found an all too familiar style of black SUV waiting for me.

Leaning against it was Schaeffer.

"Your presence has been requested," he said softly, if somewhat apologetically.

"I suppose there's no chance that I could put this off?"

The passenger window rolled down, and I saw the bandaged head of Just Eliot scowling out.

"Alright, alright," I said, and climbed into the back.

* * *

They drove me to Argent Industries, where I eventually found myself alone with Ms. D'Argento herself.

The stress and worry she'd been suffering from the night before was gone without a trace. In its place, I found a beautiful, if somewhat cold, leader of the White Court.

"I believe we are in your debt," the woman said, rising from behind her desk. I had remained standing upon entering, and I don't think she liked being looked down upon. "You have done us an invaluable service. I have already instructed our accountants to deposit a sizable sum into your bank account. But money is the least of what we can offer," the woman said, her eyes sparkling. "Ask what you would of me."

There was something in her tone. I wouldn't call it an invitation. But there was a quirk to her lips, and I suddenly had the sinking feeling that my word had spread about how good I tasted.

"I'd like to be left alone," I said, seemingly to her surprise. "I'd like my participation in tonight's events to remain as confidential as possible. I've heard things about the Red Court, and I don't want them coming after me."

"I will do what I can," D'Argento said with a nod, stepping around her desk to come closer. It didn't look like she was trying to be alluring, but it was inherent to her nature; she couldn't help it.

"I'd also like my friend left alone," I continued, concentrating on my words rather than the subtle sway of the woman's hips. "The girl that helped me locate the witch. She's run into your people before, and it didn't end well. I don't think she wants to have anyone else calling on her."

My worry was that Anya might tell the wrong person that Olivia tasted better than average. That type of thing would only cause trouble down the line. Although considering Olivia's resourcefulness against the Reds, it might be the _vampires_ that would find themselves in trouble.

"Of course," the woman said, nodding again as she drew closer.

"I take it my wishes in regards to the witch and her husband have been relayed?"

"They are scheduled for a flight home once the man recovers," she informed me, her smoke gray eyes showing no sign of displeasure at their avoidance of justice. "They have also been provided with your contact information, so that they can send word of their safe arrival."

That wasn't necessary, but I appreciated the gesture. "Thank you."

With that, I turned and headed for the door.

"Wait," the woman said, her surprise evident in her tone. I turned halfway back, and saw her blinking expectantly. "Is there nothing more?"

I considered it for a second. "I assume you're taking care of Winema?"

"Of course," D'Argento replied. "She was injured in our service. She will receive the best of care, as well as compensation for her efforts."

I was glad for that. We only knew each other in passing, but she was one of the good guys.

"She's down in our clinic recovering," the woman added. "Perhaps you would like to visit with her?"

"That's good to hear," I said, feeling another knot untie itself from my stomach as I realized she was at least conscious. "I'll stop by on my way out."

I turned to leave again, but the woman motioned toward me, clearly not finished. She stared at me blankly. "Very well. But what of yourself?"

I turned back to her. "I already told you. I just want to be left alone."

"But what of compensation?" D'Argento asked, a smile creeping to her lips that sent shivers down my spine. "Surely you want _something?_ " she added, the last word arching along with a suggestive eyebrow.

I just shook my head. "To be honest, I just want to be done with you all."

The woman froze at that, growing as still as Natalia had. It was inhuman, and reminded me all too well that it wasn't just a woman I was talking to.

She wasn't a monster either. She was both in one, inseparable. Which was the problem.

"I see," she said softly, her words crisp and cold.

"No, it's not like that," I said, holding up my hands defensively. "I have nothing against you or your kind."

And I didn't. I knew what they did, but in the grand scheme of things, they were just creatures trying to survive. They were no different than a hungry animal desperate for sustenance, be it human or beast. I understood their motivation, and could even sympathize. They had human emotions, and human needs. I could respect that, too.

That didn't mean I wouldn't put them down if they attacked me or my own.

My response surprised her, as she frowned. "I can honestly say I don't know what to think of your request."

"It's that simple," I told her. "I just want to be left alone. I don't want any of your family coming after me looking for a bite to eat. I don't want to be involved in your politics. I don't want to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life, wondering when the Reds are going to come for me. I just want to go back to my life, and pretend this night never happened. I think that would be best for everyone."

D'Argento, who I was sure went by another name entirely, finally nodded. Her seductive nature disappeared, until there was nothing left but the iron will behind the empire. "I understand. But know that I do not forget my debts, even if you wish it so. If you find one day that you are in need, you have but to ask."

"Thank you," I said, figuring that was about as good as I was going to get.

"Oh, and Mr. Hayes?" she said as I started to leave. I turned back once more, and found her with an amused smile. "You should not have to worry about anyone trying to… have you over for dinner." Her smile widened. "We can get very territorial, and someone has already laid claim."

I might have swallowed as the implication struck home.

I nodded, and she did the same. And then I left the leader of the White Court of Vampires behind, to rule her empire from the shadows.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

As the elevator doors closed, a pale hand shot out, and pushed them back open.

"Going down?" the beautiful Madeline asked, shooting me a million watt smile.

"Sure," I said, stepping back to allow her room inside the massive elevator.

The doors closed, and we rode in silence for a moment, until she couldn't help herself.

"I can't thank you enough," she finally said, turning to me. I could feel a pressure building in my head. My pulse quickened, and I found my eyes drawn to hers.

But despite the alluring smile and the eye-catching pose, there was nothing attractive about the vampire. There was a youthfulness in Anya that spoke of innocence, of a young woman not yet fully a monster. And there was a passion in the others, a love of family and honor, that I could respect.

All I saw in Madeline was the monster behind the mask.

"It's quite alright," I said, turning away.

My reaction, or lack there of, surprised her. I don't think she was used to being turned down. "But, surely there is something I can do…" she said suggestively, all sorts of promises in her smile.

"There is something," I said softly, pulling the emergency stop button on the elevator.

Her big eyes, full and gorgeous and glinting of silver, blinked at me as I turned to her.

"Someone has betrayed your family," I said, looking in those beautiful eyes of hers, but not feeling anything. "Someone that sought to gain power for themselves."

"We have already found those responsible," she said quickly, too quickly. "It became clear once they betrayed us in the alley. Our people moved on them quickly."

"You found them alive?" I asked, guessing the answer, and letting my doubt be known.

"Unfortunately, no," she said, a seemingly pained expression flashing across her face. "They took their own lives when they knew we were closing in."

"How unfortunate," I said gently. "And surprising, given the loyalty you all seem to inspire in your employees. I can't imagine them betraying your family under their own free will." When her eyes widened, I continued. "I saw men lay down their lives tonight for your family. Good men, that wouldn't have died if someone hadn't betrayed their trust."

She had nothing to say to that, so I continued. "I watched your cousins, too. I watched as they fought for each other; died for each other. I saw them sacrifice all to protect your Queen."

The vampire froze, caught off guard by my comment.

"It was obvious, once I thought about it. Emilio all but spelled it out for me; it was always about Lara Raith. About convincing her that her life was at stake. That by dawn, she would either ally herself with the Reds, or burn with the new day.

"But even then I didn't realize," I admitted. "I thought it odd that he would think a second in command could convince their superior — even if it was their father — to go to war, all for her sake. That wouldn't work in my family, and I couldn't see it working for a family like yours."

The vampire's gaze grew colder as I continued.

"It wasn't until I read the names on the vials," I said. "It wasn't until I saw the White King's own blood in a vial. That's when I put it together." I stepped closer to her, my eyes hard. "Emilio was saving her for last, because she's the one that's really in charge. The White King is nothing more than a pawn. One that would most likely die an hour before her, letting the world know exactly what had been happening."

"That's absurd," the vampire whispered, but her disbelief didn't reach those gorgeous, lifeless eyes.

"Cat's paws," I said, shaking my head. "I'd heard it of you before, and Emilio confirmed it last night; it's all about manipulations with the White Court. A house of lies. Maybe even all the way to the top."

We stood there for a moment, neither of us saying anything, until a gentle beeping indicated that the car should resume moving. I turned back to the panel, and pushed the stop button in. The car slid into motion.

"Your theory is… preposterous," she finally said, turning to face the doors.

"Perhaps," I admitted, shrugging. "But even if I'm wrong about that, there's still a snake in your midst." I kept my eyes forward. "Someone that could convince those traitors to betray the family. Someone that could get close enough to all of those cousins of yours, to get the samples. Someone they trusted like… well, like family."

The doors opened, and I stepped out. She didn't move to follow, so I turned back to her.

"If I were you, I'd find that traitor," I told her. "I would tell her just how far these cousins of yours went for each other. I would make sure she understood that if my role in things ever came to the attention of her allies, that hers would as well. And if her role ever came to light, if her family ever learned of her betrayal, no power on earth or beyond could save her from her fate."

I didn't wait for a response. The door closed behind me, taking the vampire wherever she was going. The only vampire I hadn't seen risking life and limb for her family. The only vampire I'd seen taking any sort of pleasure in the entire affair, as she'd rushed to tell Lara Raith of her imminent demise.

The only vampire on the Red Court's list, threatened with immolation, but who's vial hadn't existed.

* * *

I rode my bike to the police station, where I met with a very tired Lieutenant Stallings and Deputy Chief Inspector Robbins. Together we spent the afternoon putting together a somewhat convincing tale of corporate espionage.

The official story was that a competitor had targeted Argent personnel in an attempt to manipulate the company into agreeing to their terms on a business transaction. When they learned of my involvement, they targeted a known associate of mine to discourage my cooperation in the investigation. That had led to the attack on Olivia's apartment, where four officers died in the line of duty.

Eventually, a burnt out husk of a vehicle was found with the remains of the perpetrators. They were identified as Emilio and Emilia Vela, based purely on a rental agreement found in the glove compartment. It didn't take much to convince people that they had ties to a drug cartel or something down south.

The coroner that S.I. worked with signed off on the bodies found in both the car and Olivia's apartment, confirming that they were most definitely human. Anyone saying otherwise was spouting nonsense.

Argent signed off on our story, and provided additional details where needed. It turned out that the Vela twins had broken into the homes of Argent Industries employees, and an odorless accelerant had been added to their body wash. When the Velas trained low-yield invisible lasers on the victims, it caused the accelerant to ignite, burning them alive.

Excuses were given for why Argent employees resisted police assistance. Rather than have the papers run with stories of potential corruption in their ranks, the City decided to accept Argent's apology for interfering with the investigation, and no charges were brought against its leadership.

And just like that, the police closed their investigation. Internal Affairs dropped the case, as Stallings produced signed approval for Rawlins and his team to work outside of their normal jurisdiction. Said approval hadn't existed the night before, but that was of no consequence. It seemed that at least some people respected what S.I. had to deal with, and nobody sided with I.A. against their fellow boys in blue.

As night began to fall, I finally made my way home, where I was quick to take an ice cold shower. I probably spent about thirty minutes beneath the cold spray, scrubbing at my skin. Even after a vigorous wash, I still felt like I was covered in blood and ash.

Exhausted, I stumbled from my bathroom, only to find my girlfriend waiting on my bed.

"Violet," I said, surprised at her sudden appearance.

The beautiful Lampad stood from where she sat at the end of the bed, and shrugged her plum robe from her shoulders. It fell in a heap at her feet, leaving her clad in nothing but mulberry tresses. Her amaranthine eyes were all but glowing with desire.

And despite my exhaustion, having only caught a little sleep at the hospital and the precinct when possible, I made my way to her, and let her draw me down into her embrace.

* * *

Some time later, I awoke to warmth. I blinked away the sleep to find Violet still beside me in my bed. I knew without looking out the window that it was still night, as she would have left at dawn. Her mulberry tresses hung loosely around her pale face, her amaranthine eyes studying me.

"You are troubled, Fëanáro," she whispered, kissing her way across my cheek.

"Last night was very troubling," I replied, drawing her head back up with my words. "How much do you know of what happened?"

"We are connected," she explained, her head tilting slowly. "I feel what you feel, through this." She took my right hand in hers, her fingers caressing the bone-white ring there that had come from the source of her power. The torch of the Lampad.

"You felt everything?" I asked, swallowing.

"Oh yes," she said, her eyes suddenly smoldering with desire. "Your antics with the succubus were quite distracting last night."

"So you know about Anya," I said, my heart fluttering with worry.

"I do," she said huskily, her words broken as she resumed kissing my face and neck. "Her ability to draw on your inner wellspring is intriguing."

"You're not… not jealous?" I asked, surprised.

"Of what?" she asked, sitting back again.

"Well, there was a lot of groping and kissing," I said, feeling my face growing flush with embarrassment.

"You were wise to utilize her hunger to heal you," the Handmaiden of Hecate said with a slight shrug.

My mind raced, trying to figure out where I stood with her. Surely this was some feminine trap.

But there was no jealousy or rage in the nymph's eyes. No darkness lurking, waiting to avenge her wounded pride. There was only pleasure, and lust, and a mischievous glint that hinted at her inner thoughts.

"You didn't mind me lending the ring to Anya?" I asked, truly confused. Q had joked that the ring symbolized our marriage, but the Lampad had never said anything one way or the other.

Violet's eyes flickered back and forth between mine. "We are connected through the ring, Fëanáro," she said again. "But there are other ways, other bonds. Like what you and the succubus shared."

I frowned, thinking back over the evening, and recalling what I assumed was a soulgaze. "You're talking about the thing in the car? On the way to Olivia's place?"

"Indeed," Violet said with a slight nod. "You gazed upon one another after sharing deeply of one another's spirits."

"Shared?" I said doubtfully. "I wouldn't exactly call it _sharing_."

"Wasn't it?" she said lightly. "When the succubi feed from their victims, a part of them is given just as they take from others. It is what allows them to draw forth your life force; what binds them to you."

"But she wasn't feeding from me, was she?" I asked. "She was only feeding from whatever the apple seed draws from."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," the nymph said with a casual, dismissive shrug. "Something passed between the two of you. There is a bond there. You can still sense her, yes?"

I thought of the punky vampire, and suddenly knew with a certainty that she was almost fully healed, and somewhere to the southwest. "Huh."

"You must be cautious with her," Violet warned. "It seems that she was drawing from the wellspring of the seed, but it may be more than that. We will have to explore that later."

"You mean us? Or her? What?" I asked, startled. I wasn't quite sure how we were going to do that without Anya's ability, but I couldn't see myself experimenting with the punky vampire with Violet present.

"Or perhaps Olivia," Violet said, resuming her kisses.

I thought of the girl that had also consumed an apple seed. Thinking of my friend triggered another memory from the night before.

"You stopped us," I said, shifting so that I was propped up on one arm. Violet laid back as I did, looking up demurely at me. "At Olivia's apartment, when the vampire's affect nearly overwhelmed us. You stopped us."

"I did," she confirmed, no offense or anger in her voice. Just a simple acknowledgment. "It would not have been appropriate."

"Because of us?" I asked, desperately trying to understand what we were.

"Because your first time together should be only the two of you," she said, sliding closer across my sheets as she stroked my chest with her hand.

"Our first time?" I repeated, my eyes widening. "Me and Olivia?"

"Of course," she said, a slight pout to her lips. "Neither of you were truly yourselves. If you should ever decide to be together, it should be as yourselves."

"What makes you think that Olivia and I would be together?" I asked her.

"You have both wanted it for some time," she replied, shifting lower to kiss at my chest. "I do not understand why you have not."

"Probably because of what we have," I said, my eyelids growing heavy as her kisses trailed across my skin.

"We are bound," she said gently as she caressed my skin with hers. "What you have with Olivia will not change what we are."

Her hand slid over my side, her nails scratching gently across my back. Her breath grew heavier as she slipped her thigh over mine, hooking her leg behind me.

"Did you just give me permission to sleep with my friend?" I asked, my mind befuddled by a dizzying combination of exhaustion and arousal.

" _Our_ friend," she replied, shifting her weight and pushing me onto my back as she straddled me. "And perhaps we will share."

She pressed her lips to mine, and I met her hungrily. But then she arched her back, breaking the kiss. "But you must not sleep with the succubus," she gasped as she shifted across me.

"Anya?" I asked, my breath growing more fervent.

"Yes," she said, her face lowering to mine, sending a cascade of mulberry locks around my vision. Her eyes glinted in the scant light, an amethyst glow to them as they fixated on me, her lips hovering over mine.

"At least not until we can negotiate terms."

And then, for a time, my nymph made me forget all about punky vampires and girls with caramel skin.

* * *

The next day, I made my way down to Qilluhrang's rooms in the subbasement beneath my home.

When I'd bought the old firehouse, I hadn't known about the creature already living in the tunnels beneath it. Not long after I'd moved in, we'd crossed paths. Once he stopped poking me with pointy objects, we worked out a mutually beneficial agreement. I'd make sure his home was left alone, and help with his business of selling magically crafted items and enchantments. In return, he'd help teach me about the supernatural world.

I found him in his lab, where he was working on repairing my damaged glasses. He'd grunted when he'd seen them, and was already at work trying to undo the damage done. It was certainly odd behavior for a member of a deadly assassin race.

I'd asked him once why he bothered with any of it, and his response had been vague, implying that doing so allowed him to remain himself. Whatever that meant.

As we compared notes on the previous night, I headed over to a weapons locker where I was allowed to keep items I didn't want lying around the house. The police had come calling one too many times over the years, and I'd grown cautious of having anything they might find disturbing, like swords, maces, and other assorted implements of death.

I saw that Q had already put away all of my stuff. Only the leather pants were still upstairs, needing a thorough cleaning along with my jacket and boots before I could put them away.

"So then she said we'd have to explore it," I said.

"Hmgh," the goblin said, not turning from his work.

I sat there for a minute, waiting for anything else, but the goblin had nothing to offer. I knew he hated speculating, but I needed someone to talk to about all of it. "Seriously? I just explained that my girlfriend — the one _you_ call my wife — said I'd need to explore having a sexy succubus vampire feed on me, most likely through sexy sex stuff, and all I get is a grunt?"

The goblin grumbled, but put down the tool he was using and turned around.

"What did the Valkyrie say?" he asked, his carmine eyes glinting beneath his furrowed brow.

"About what?" I said, thrown for a second. "You mean about the seed from the immortality apple?"

"Yes."

"That I shouldn't mistake the seed for the fruit," I said, somewhat paraphrasing. Gard had said something similar when she'd learned about my consuming the seed from the golden apple.

"I'd listen to her," he said, turning back around.

"Meaning what?" I asked, his words worrying me.

"Meaning there are limits to the power of the seed," the goblin said with warning in his voice. He cast a slow glance over his shoulder. "One gives immortal life; the other only heals wounds in time."

"I know," I said, but the goblin shook his head.

"You were reckless," he growled, more frustrated with my ignorance than anything else. "The seed does not heal mortal wounds." He scowled at me. "A succubus feeding deeply is a mortal wound."

"But when she fed on me, it sped my recovery," I argued.

"And what if there's a limit?" he asked, turning back to his work. "What if the seed runs out?"

His words chilled me.

"I… I don't know," I said, thinking it over. "But Violet said—"

"Your Lampad does not know either," he said, cutting me off with a rare smile, his long canine jutting from his mouth. "And if she's wrong, it will not cost her. It will cost _you_."

"I don't think Violet would jeopardize my life," I said, fairly confident of that.

"She is a creature of the underworld. Of fire and death," the goblin rasped as he worked. "The seed is a thing of vitality and life. She does not understand it."

"You're saying I should leave it alone?" I asked, somewhat disappointed.

"I am saying proceed with caution," he replied, one red eye turning to look back at me. "Or your Lampad and your succubus may burn you from both ends."

* * *

That afternoon I walked to the front door as I felt something. Taking a breath to steady myself, I opened the door, and smiled at the punky vampire as she came to a stop before she could ring the bell.

"Anya," I said politely.

The vampire was dressed conservatively. For her, at least. Her skin tight white jeans lacked any holes or tears, and her shirt wasn't transparent. It was some band name, probably too trendy for me to have heard of them yet. She'd replaced her ruined jackets with a black one that was eerily similar to my own.

Her gray eyes were tempered along with her mood. The dark makeup around her eyes was gone, replaced by a glittery silver liner. But the makeup and piercings were the only shiny things about her countenance. Even the winding tattoo on the right side of her face seemed somewhat dull.

"My cousin explained your terms," she said, keeping her eyes fixed on mine. There was something there; something I couldn't understand. "I came to tell you that I will abide by them, and stay away from you."

"What about Olivia?" I asked. "You're not going to tell anyone about her… flavor, are you?"

The punky vampire gave me a curious look. "What flavor?"

"You know," I said. "The whole warm, sunshine, fuzzy blanket thing." Anya stared at me for a moment, clearly confused. "From the healing thing?" I added, my voice a whisper.

"Ah," she said, nodding slightly. "I will not tell anyone about that. But she does not taste the same as you."

"What?" I asked, surprised.

"She tastes pleasant," the vampire said reassuringly, as if one could be offended that their spirit wasn't appealing. "But you're flavor… you spirit… is something else entirely."

"Oh," I said, leaning a shoulder against the door-frame, at a loss.

Her eyes studied mine, while I wondered at what she was thinking. Our night had been intense, and in the light of day, I struggled to believe all of the things I'd done. The risks I'd taken with a girl I hardly knew, and a vampire at that.

When I'd first come to in that basement, and found her astride me, I should have panicked. I should have shoved her away, recognizing the threat that the vampire posed.

Instead, I'd embraced it. I'd embraced the feeling of her hunger. I'd let her consume a piece of me, and allowed the euphoria she'd imparted to blind me to the danger.

And then, I'd asked her for it again and again.

I was intoxicated by the feelings she gave me. Not the lust, or the longing. Those were incredible. But they weren't what had kept me coming back.

No. It was the feeling of power she'd brought forth in me. The feeling of strength, vitality, and endurance that each feeding had imparted.

There, in the light of day, I knew how dangerous she was. How someone like her could go too far. As Q had warned, she could feed too deeply, to the point that the source of my miraculous healing could no longer compensate. She could kill me, as suddenly and as surely as any of the other threats I'd faced that night.

But it didn't matter. I wanted it all the same.

I tore my eyes away from hers, and looked to the curb. Another black SUV sat waiting. Schaeffer was in the driver's seat, while Just Eliot was on the passenger side.

"Don't they ever take a break?" I asked lightly. Trying to say something, but unsure what.

"No," she said simply, only the barest humor creeping into her voice. "Goodbye, Mr. Hayes."

She turned to go, and I felt something tug at me from the inside. Part of me worried that it was something left over from the connection we'd had from the feedings. Something left from the soulgaze that had shared something of her with me, and me with her. Part of me worried that there was some supernatural power drawing me to her.

Part of me worried it wasn't.

"Anya," I said, pushing off from the door-frame. There was something to be said. Why couldn't I find it?

Or maybe there weren't words. She certainly didn't seem to think so. As soon as I said her name, she spun around. Not unnaturally fast, but breathtakingly all the same. My heart seemed to skip a beat as she stepped forward, and lifted up to her toes to light a kiss upon my lips.

Her flesh was just as soft, just as warm, as it had been the other night. The exotic nature of it, the feeling of foreign lips I barely knew, added to the surreal feeling that washed over me as the punky vampire girl kissed me.

It didn't last long, and seemed somewhat bitter-sweet as it ended. Her eyes held motes of silver in them as she turned away, and strode quickly to the vehicle.

"Anya," I said one last time. She paused at the door, and cast a glance back over her shoulder. Her eyes were still alive with what she'd felt in the kiss. What we'd felt.

"Maybe…" I started, swallowing nervously. "Maybe my terms won't apply to all of you."

She stood there for what seemed like an eternity. And then, casually, she tilted her head to the side and smiled, her eyes sparkling. No silver streaks necessary. Just sparkling, with what seemed like happiness.

I watched her climb into the car, my gaze following it as it left. Then I walked back inside and closed the door. I felt myself lean against it, thinking about that kiss. Thinking about what I'd felt, and what I hadn't.

In that last kiss, there had been no hunger. There had been no monster lurking beneath her skin, looking to consume my essence. There had been no unnatural urges, nor pressures, nor all-consuming lusts.

In that moment, she had been just a girl.

And I had wanted her just the same.

I was happy with Violet. As she had said, there was something between us. A bond, shared by power and experience. An attraction, seemingly spiritual and physical.

But it wasn't love.

Not like what the Haitian witch and her husband shared. If it had been, then the touch of the bone-white ring would have burned Anya just as the curse had.

Instead, the ring had protected her just as it had protected me. If it worked for her, it might work for anyone.

What did that say about the symbol of mine and Violet's bond? What did it mean for our future, if there was one?

And what should I make for the feelings I had around Anya? How much was her hunger, and how much was my own desire to feel the power of the seed coursing through me?

And then there was Olivia, and Violet's words about our attraction. Was she right? Was there something between us that I hadn't seen because of the Lampad?

What was real, and what was magic?

I made my way back into my home, my heart and mind burning with questions and doubt.


End file.
